'Nepal Is Priority Partner': PM Modi After Meeting Chairman Of Rastriya Swatantra Party

In a fresh push to deepen ties with Kathmandu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met Rabi Lamichhane, Chairman of Nepal’s Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), and reiterated India’s commitment to elevating the “special and multifaceted” partnership between the two neighbours.

The meeting, held in the presence of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, comes amid a series of high-level political engagements between India and Nepal’s new leadership.

In a post on X after the talks, Modi said he welcomed Lamichhane’s intent to work closely with India for a “shared and prosperous future”. He underscored that Nepal remains a “priority partner” under India’s Neighbourhood First

policy and expressed hope of collaborating with the new government in Kathmandu to take bilateral relations “to greater heights”.

नेपालको राष्ट्रिय स्वतन्त्र पार्टीका सभापति श्री रवि लामिछानेज्यूसँग भेट्न पाउँदा अत्यन्तै खुशी लागेको छ । एक साझा र समृद्ध भविष्यका लागि मिलेर काम गर्ने वहाँको चाहनालाई म स्वागत गर्दछु र त्यसमा पूर्ण रुपमा सहमत छु ।

हाम्रो छिमेकी पहिलो नीति अन्तर्गत नेपाल प्राथमिकतामा रहेको… pic.twitter.com/5xNRbyQKTX

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 3, 2026

Lamichhane’s visit has included multiple meetings with senior Indian leaders over two days, signalling both sides’ interest in strengthening political and developmental cooperation.

On Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah met the RSP chief and his delegation in New Delhi. Both sides, according to an official statement, expressed a firm resolve to work together to enhance the “special ties” between India and Nepal.

“The Home Minister congratulated Shri Lamichhane on RSP’s victory in the elections and conveyed India’s best wishes for the success of the new government,” the Home Minister’s Office said in a post on X, adding that the discussions focused on further deepening bilateral relations.

Lamichhane also held talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during his visit. Describing the interaction as “wonderful” in a post on X, Lamichhane said the two leaders had a constructive dialogue on strengthening Nepal-India relations, with particular emphasis on the development partnership and multifaceted engagements.

Jaishankar, in his own post on X, said it was a “pleasure” to meet the RSP chairman and his delegation in Delhi. He noted that their discussions centred on the India-Nepal development partnership and people-to-people ties, which he described as crucial for promoting growth and prosperity in both countries.

A pleasure to meet Nepal’s Rastriya Swatantra Party Chairperson Rabi Lamichhane and his delegation today in Delhi.

Our discussions focused on the 🇮🇳🇳🇵development partnership and people-to-people ties. These have a crucial role in promoting growth and prosperity.@hamrorabi… pic.twitter.com/z9vzMOSkVu

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) June 2, 2026

The Ministry of External Affairs underlined that Lamichhane’s visit forms part of the regular contacts between political parties in India and Nepal. MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, speaking at a weekly media briefing, highlighted the broad scope of the relationship.

“We have a multifaceted partnership with Nepal that includes government-to-government, people-to-people, and cultural relations. We value these contacts as they help in further strengthening and deepening our friendly partnership,” Jaiswal said.