FS Misri calls on Nepal PM Balendra Shah ahead of his India visit

Kathmandu: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Thursday called on Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah in Kathmandu ahead of Shah’s forthcoming visit to India, and also conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Indian Embassy in Nepal said.

“Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri called on the Rt. Hon’ble Prime Minister of Nepal, Mr. Balendra Shah, in Kathmandu today and conveyed to him greetings from Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi,” the Embassy posted on X.

The visit is expected to lay the groundwork for Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s upcoming trip to India.

“The discussion focused on the implementation of various bilateral initiatives, and possibilities for further enhancement of India-Nepal cooperation across domains, especially in the context of forthcoming high level visit,” the Embassy said.

Misri, who arrived in Kathmandu on Wednesday morning for a two-day official visit, began his high-level engagements by meeting Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal, Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle and Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Biraj Bhakta Shrestha. He also held delegation-level talks with a Nepali team led by his counterpart, Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai.

During the meeting between the two Foreign Secretaries, the sides discussed a range of issues of mutual interest in preparation for the forthcoming visit of the Nepali Prime Minister, Balendra Shah, to India, the Indian Embassy in Nepal said in a social media post.

Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the talks covered the entire gamut of Nepal-India relations, including high-level exchanges, connectivity, trade, development cooperation, energy and people-to-people relations.

Nepali officials said the two sides also discussed several initiatives they want to advance during the Prime Minister's upcoming visit. Misri's visit is expected to lay the groundwork for Prime Minister Shah's proposed visit to India later this month.

Nepali officials said the visit would help prepare the agenda for Shah's proposed trip to New Delhi. Kathmandu wants to advance discussions on several outstanding issues, including the border dispute, revision of the trade treaty and additional air-entry points for international flights through India.

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