Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri arrives in Nepal for two-day visit

The Foreign Secretary landed at Tribhuvan International Airport, where he was received by Nepal's Foreign Ministry officials, along with the newly appointed Ambassador Sudhakar Dalela.

Misri arrived in Kathmandu at the invitation of his counterpart, Amrit Bahadur Rai. A secretary-level meeting is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, during which the two sides are expected to discuss the agenda for a likely visit of the Nepali Prime Minister to India.

Nepal has prepared a slew of agendas for the meeting. It includes the visit of Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah to India as well as reconstruction aid from India following the Bhotekoshi floods, a senior official from Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told ANI.

Along with the meeting, the Foreign Secretary will also make courtesy calls on various ministers. Tomorrow (Thursday), he will also call on the Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah at his office before wrapping up the visit, the official informed ANI.

Misri, a 1989-batch Foreign Service officer, has served as Foreign Secretary since July 2024. His previous postings include Ambassador to China, Myanmar and Spain, as well as Deputy National Security Adviser. He has also worked as private secretary to three Indian prime ministers. His tenure was extended in mid-2026 until July 2027.

The Foreign Secretary's visit comes against a backdrop of ongoing practical cooperation between the two countries. In late October, the 10th Nepal-India Coordination Meeting between Nepal's Armed Police Force and India's Sashastra Seema Bal concluded in Kathmandu with agreements to enhance border security, improve information-sharing on cross-border crime, and introduce technology such as CCTV cameras, scanners and drones for border management.

Separate recent engagements have addressed energy cooperation, including joint ventures on cross-border transmission lines, and broader connectivity and trade matters.

Nepal-India relations rest on an open border, extensive people-to-people links, shared cultural and historical ties, and significant economic interdependence in trade, energy, investment and transit.

High-level contacts and technical dialogues form a regular part of the relationship. The foreign secretaries' meeting is expected to provide a platform for assessing progress across these domains and identifying areas for continued engagement. (ANI)