New Delhi: Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra will be on an official visit to Nepal on February 13 and 14.
The visit is at the invitation of the Foreign Secretary of Nepal, Bharat Raj Paudyal. This will be the first stand-alone visit of the Foreign Secretary to Nepal since he assumed charge.
“The visit is in keeping with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and the priority India attaches to its relations with Nepal under its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy,” the MEA said in a release.
During the visit, the two Foreign Secretaries will hold discussions on the entire range of multifaceted cooperation between India and Nepal.
The MEA statement further said that India has historical and civilizational linkages with Nepal, and bilateral cooperation between the two countries has strengthened in recent years.
Several major infrastructure and cross-border connectivity projects in Nepal have been completed with India’s assistance.
“The visit will be an opportunity to further advance our bilateral ties,” the statement said.
The 68-year-old Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist centre leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal or Prachanda, was sworn in as the Prime Minister for the third time on December 26, 2022, after he dramatically walked out of the pre-poll alliance led by the Nepali Congress and joined hands with Opposition leader KP Sharma Oli.
Pushpa Kamal Dahal, on January 10, won the vote of confidence in the house of representatives. In December, after Dahal took charge as PM, his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi said, “The unique relationship between India and Nepal is based on deep cultural connect & warm people-to-people ties”.
“I look forward to working with you (in reference to Prachanda) to further strengthen this friendship,” Modi tweeted.
