Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah is set to visit India, with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri holding a series of high-level meetings with the country’s leadership in Kathmandu to discuss preparations
for the upcoming visit and explore ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
According to The Indian Express, Shah will embark on a three-day official visit to India from November 22.
Misri was on a two-day official visit to Nepal from November 4 to 5 at the invitation of Nepalese Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai.
During the visit, he called on Prime Minister Shah and conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to a joint press release issued by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.
The discussions focused on the progress of India-Nepal cooperation and possible outcomes and initiatives that could be taken forward during Shah’s upcoming visit to India.
According to the Nepal Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Shah discussed various aspects of Nepal-India relations and ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation during his meeting with Misri.
PREPARATIONS FOR NEPAL PM’S INDIA VISIT
During the meeting, Misri briefed Shah on the preparations for his upcoming visit to India and highlighted the progress of bilateral cooperation in several sectors, including energy, water resources, trade, transit and aviation.
The Foreign Secretary also informed the Nepalese Prime Minister that a trial run of the Ayodhya-Janakpur railway service had been conducted on Thursday.
The MEA joint statement said Misri highlighted the “wide-ranging engagement and overall progress in diverse areas of bilateral cooperation” while discussing possible outcomes and initiatives in the context of the Nepalese Prime Minister’s upcoming India visit.
NEPAL THANKS INDIA FOR FLOOD RELIEF ASSISTANCE
The aftermath of the Rasuwa-Bhotekoshi floods also figured prominently in the discussions, with Nepalese leadership expressing gratitude for India’s assistance.
According to the Nepal PMO, Shah thanked the Indian government for its prompt support, including relief supplies and rescue teams, following the devastating floods.
He also appreciated Prime Minister Modi’s solidarity and enquired about opportunities for cooperation in sports development, the PMO statement said.
The joint MEA statement said Nepalese leadership expressed gratitude for India’s “swift and substantial humanitarian and technical assistance” in the aftermath of the floods.
MISRI MEETS NEPAL’S TOP LEADERSHIP
Apart from his meeting with Shah, Misri also called on Nepal’s Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Biraj Bhakta Shrestha, and Minister for Infrastructure Development Sunil Lamsal.
On Wednesday, Misri and Nepalese Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai held delegation-level talks.
During the discussions, the two sides reviewed ongoing cooperation across different sectors and explored ways to further strengthen the mutually beneficial partnership between the two countries.
Misri also interacted with parliamentarians, including members of the India-Nepal Parliamentary Friendship Group and Nepal’s Parliamentary Committee on International Relations and Tourism.
TRADE, HYDROPOWER, AI FEATURE IN BILATERAL DISCUSSIONS
The two sides noted growing engagement in traditional areas of cooperation, including trade and commerce, development partnership, hydropower, physical connectivity, border management, energy and people-to-people ties.
Discussions also covered newer areas of collaboration, including start-ups, digital connectivity, artificial intelligence (AI) and sports, according to the joint statement.
“Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to all-round enhancement of the bilateral partnership,” the statement said.
The MEA added that Misri’s visit continued the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between India and Nepal aimed at advancing their close ties of friendship and cooperation.
