Kathmandu, Feb. 18 -- After years of negotiations, Nepal and India on Tuesday signed the Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, enabling the two countries to cooperate in criminal investigations and legal proceedings. The pact was signed in Kathmandu.

The updated agreement, which was initially agreed at a home secretary-level meeting in New Delhi in July last year, formalises cooperation on criminal matters. Nepal and India also signed a similar agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters and an extradition treaty in 2005. However, even as the agreement on criminal matters has been signed, negotiations on the new extradition treaty are yet to be finalised.

The agreement aims to strengthen cooperation in t...