Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal is set to visit New Delhi on a three-day official visit beginning June 6. The visit comes at the invitation of India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. This is Khanal’s first official visit to India after being appointed Foreign Minister on April 27.
The Foreign Ministry of Nepal said Khanal will hold formal talks with Jaishankar in New Delhi. The two sides will discuss matters of mutual interest, with a focus on enhancing cooperation in trade, investment, connectivity, energy, and people-to-people ties. Sources in Kathmandu and New Delhi confirm Khanal will also hold meetings with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal. The two foreign ministers are also expected to discuss the possibility of higher-level visits from both sides, including a potential Jaishankar visit to Kathmandu.
Minister Khanal is scheduled to return to Kathmandu on June 7.
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Trip was postponed last month
Khanal’s visit comes after his planned trip to Delhi last month was postponed. India had deferred the International Big Cat Alliance Summit due to the rise in Ebola cases in Africa, which pushed back the visit.
Although Khanal had already held discussions with Jaishankar and other regional leaders during the Ninth Indian Ocean Conference in Mauritius in April, those were not considered an official bilateral visit.
Lamichhane set the stage this week
RSP President Rabi Lamichhane held a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday during his five-day visit to India. India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar attended the meeting.
Lamichhane talked with Modi for over an hour in the presence of his wife Nekita Poudel Lamichhane, two party leaders Bipin Acharya and Deepak Bohora, and New Delhi-based Nepali diplomats. Jaishankar, NSA Doval, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri were present from the Indian side.
Lamichhane arrived in New Delhi on Monday at the invitation of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party President Nitin Nabin. Since Tuesday, he had been busy with high-level meetings. He met top leaders including BJP President Nabin at the BJP headquarters. After that, he also met Jaishankar and Home Minister Amit Shah.
Lamichhane was also scheduled to visit the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on Thursday.
“No Political Baggage”: Lamichhane to Modi
RSP chief Lamichhane and Prime Minister Modi agreed to chart a new course in Nepal-India relations in a changed political context.
According to the Kathmandu Post, Lamichhane told Modi that RSP carried no historical political baggage and sought to build a new framework for engagement with India. Modi, congratulating the party on its strong electoral performance, said India was ready to work closely with Nepal’s new leadership and support the country’s development priorities.
Modi told Lamichhane: “You first decide your priorities, we will provide all possible support in that.” He added that India is always with Nepal and willing to be a partner in Nepal’s development, economic progress, and prosperity.
After the meeting, Modi posted on X that he welcomed and fully shared Lamichhane’s desire to work closely together for a shared and prosperous future. “Nepal is a priority partner under our Neighbourhood First policy and we look forward to collaborating with the new government to elevate the special and multifaceted relationship between our two countries to greater heights,” Modi wrote.
Key projects on the agenda
Among the key issues on Khanal’s agenda will be the Pancheshwar multipurpose project, the proposed East-West Railway, plans for a rail link connecting Janakpur and Ayodhya, expanded petroleum pipeline infrastructure, and efforts to improve trade and transit arrangements.
Nepal is also seeking additional air entry routes from India to support operations at the country’s two newest international airports, in Pokhara and Bhairahawa, both of which have struggled to attract international traffic since opening.
A top Ministry official told IANS that bilateral talks are scheduled for June 6. “During the visit, there are plans to discuss enhancing connectivity between the two countries in line with the priorities highlighted during RSP President Lamichhane’s tour. Improving railway, road, air, and people-to-people connectivity will be a major focus of the bilateral discussions,” the official said.
Border dispute adds friction
There is friction in bilateral relations due to a boundary dispute. The issue flared after Prime Minister Balendra Shah made a statement in Parliament that Nepal had sought the UK’s help to settle the border dispute. India subsequently responded that the issue should be handled through established bilateral mechanisms, rejecting third-party mediation of the international border.
The two foreign ministers are expected to discuss ways to resolve the boundary dispute during Khanal’s visit.
Digital cooperation also on the table
As Lamichhane outlined possible cooperation in the digital sector during his Delhi trip, the two foreign ministers will also take up the digital agenda during Khanal’s visit.
Diplomatic sequence raises expectations
RSP lawmaker Deepak Bohora told BBC Nepali Service from New Delhi that as soon as Lamichhane returns, Minister Khanal will fly to India. He said that as Lamichhane has already opened the discussion, Khanal will represent the government in formal talks.
The Nepali side has already sent a request to the Indian side for a meeting between Khanal and Indian Prime Minister Modi.
Modi had described Nepal as a priority partner under India’s Neighbourhood First policy and expressed confidence that the special relationship between the two countries would continue to grow.
Nepal’s Foreign Ministry said the visit forms part of regular high-level engagement between the two countries and is expected to further consolidate the long-standing and multifaceted ties between the two neighbours.