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Visiting Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Sunday paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, kick-starting his two-day visit to the Himalayan nation.
Misri met Prime Minister Oli at his office in Singha Durbar, according to a statement from the PM's secretariat. During the meeting, Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister Bishnu Prasad Rimal, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava, and other officials from Nepal's Foreign Ministry were present. Misri is in Kathmandu on a two-day official visit at the invitation of his Nepali counterpart, Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai. The Foreign Secretary, who arrived in Kathmandu this morning, is scheduled to hold several high-level meetings throughout the day. These include meetings with Nepali President Ram Chandra Paudel, former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, and former Prime Minister and CPN-Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal. The visit comes as part of preparations for an upcoming official trip by Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to India, scheduled for August 29. Discussions are expected to focus on setting the agenda for that visit. During Misri's stay, the foreign secretaries of both countries will review and discuss various aspects of Nepal-India relations, including cooperation in trade, connectivity, energy, and regional development. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the visit as part of the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two neighbours, stating, "This visit will provide an opportunity to further strengthen and advance bilateral relations. Nepal holds a high priority under India's Neighbourhood First Policy." The visit also lays the groundwork for a planned meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, a site of deep spiritual and cultural significance believed to be where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. (ANI)
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