Kathmandu, Nov 3 Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will arrive in Nepal on Wednesday on a two-day visit mainly to lay the groundwork for a likely trip to India by Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah.
Prime Minister Shah is likely to visit India in the last week of November, his first bilateral trip after assuming office in March, according to Foreign Ministry sources here. The dates of the visit are yet to be announced officially.
Foreign Secretary Misri is paying an official visit to Nepal from November 4-5 at the invitation of Nepal’s Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai, the Foreign Ministry here said in a statement.
During the visit, the foreign secretary will hold bilateral discussions with his Indian counterpart, it said.
The two sides will review the full range of Nepal-India relations and exchange views on matters of mutual interest, with a view to further strengthening the long-standing close and friendly ties between the two countries, the ministry said.
Misri will also pay courtesy calls on high-level dignitaries, it added.
Foreign Secretary Misri is likely to call on Prime Minister Shah during the visit, an official told PTI.
Foreign Ministries of both Nepal and India are preparing for Prime Minister Shah’s forthcoming visit to India, the Foreign Ministry sources here said.
This will be Prime Minister Shah’s first visit to any neighbouring country after assuming office in March.
Nepal is important for India in the context of its overall strategic interests in the region, and leaders of the two countries have often noted the age-old “Roti Beti” relationship.
Land-locked Nepal relies heavily on India for the transportation of goods and services. Nepal’s access to the sea is through India, and it imports a predominant proportion of its requirements from and through India.
In May, the bilateral relations came under some unease following Shah’s remarks seeking involvement of China and the UK to address the long-standing border dispute between India and Nepal.
New Delhi categorically rejected any role for third parties to resolve its boundary row with Nepal, saying the two countries have an established bilateral mechanism to deal with all aspects of the border issue.
Nepal and India have had an old boundary dispute over Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani. India has consistently maintained that the territories are part of Uttarakhand.
(PTI News)
