KATHMANDU: Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is holding a series of high-level meetings with Nepali political leaders and government officials during his two-day visit to Kathmandu, as Nepal and India intensify preparations for Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s upcoming visit to New Delhi.
Misri arrived in Kathmandu on Wednesday morning and is scheduled to meet Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal, Finance Minister Dr Swarnim Wagle and Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai, according to sources.
He is also expected to pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Shah, although the timing of the meeting remains subject to the prime minister’s availability. Meetings with Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chair Rabi Lamichhane, Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha and Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal are also expected during his stay.
Neither the Nepali nor Indian government has officially published Misri’s meeting schedule.
The visit comes amid preparations for Prime Minister Shah’s proposed trip to India in the second week of December. Officials from both countries have reportedly been working to finalize arrangements for the visit.
India’s newly appointed ambassador to Nepal, Sudhakar Dalela, also arrived in Kathmandu on Tuesday, adding momentum to the diplomatic preparations.
On October 28, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that New Delhi had extended an invitation to the Nepali prime minister during a regular media briefing.
Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is reportedly preparing to announce the formal dates of Shah’s India visit, with the announcement expected after Misri’s ongoing engagements.
Misri is scheduled to return to India on Thursday afternoon, November 5.
