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Marking the highest-level official engagement since Nepal's recent historic political transition, Nepal's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shisir Khanal, will embark on an official visit to India from June 5 to 7.
The announcement was made by Nepal's Foreign Ministry on Thursday, following a cordial invitation from India's Minister of External Affairs, S Jaishankar. The high-profile diplomatic visit comes on the heels of a massive political shift in Nepal. Prime Minister Balendra "Balen" Shah was sworn into office on March 27 after his party, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), secured a landslide victory in elections triggered six months after a sweeping Gen-Z uprising. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first global leader to congratulate Shah during a telephonic conversation following the victory. Foreign Minister Khanal will hold structured meetings with S Jaishankar in New Delhi to review the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation. "During the visit, Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Khanal will hold a formal meeting with Minister of External Affairs of India Dr Jaishankar in New Delhi. The two sides will discuss matters of mutual interest, with a view to enhancing cooperation across key areas including trade, investment, connectivity, energy and people-to-people ties," the Nepal Foreign Ministry release read. The two nations will discuss matters of mutual interest to enhance cooperation across critical sectors, including trade, investment, digital and physical connectivity, energy security, and deep-rooted people-to-people ties. "As part of regular exchange of high-level visits, this visit will further consolidate the enduring and multifaceted bilateral relations between Nepal and India," the statement added further. Falling under a regular exchange of high-level diplomatic visits, this trip is positioned to further solidify the enduring, multifaceted, and ancient bilateral relations shared between Nepal and India. The announcement also coincides with an ongoing parallel visit by RSP President Rabi Lamichhane, who met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Wednesday. India remains one of Nepal's largest and most crucial development partners. This developmental synergy began in 1951 with the construction of Kathmandu's Gauchar Airport (completed in 1954), alongside the setup of the Indian Aid Mission in 1954 to streamline projects in connectivity, health, education, and power. Over the past seven decades, this developmental cooperation has deeply diversified into specialised areas like agriculture, archives, archaeology, cultural heritage preservation, and capacity building, fully aligned with the evolving priorities of the new government in Kathmandu. (ANI)
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