KATHMANDU: Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal has said Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s proposed visit to India is under consideration, but no date has yet been finalised.
Speaking to reporters after returning to Kathmandu from New York, where he attended the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, Khanal said Nepal and India were working to make the prime minister’s visit fruitful and result-oriented.
The proposed visit would be Shah’s first official bilateral foreign visit since he assumed office on March 27. Preparations for the trip have already begun, with the two sides discussing possible areas of cooperation and concrete outcomes.
Khanal said India had formally invited Shah soon after the formation of his government and that Nepal had responded positively to the invitation. He added that preparations were underway for the visit to take place at a mutually suitable time.
The foreign minister also discussed the proposed visit with his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar during his stay in New York. The two sides have been discussing ways to strengthen bilateral engagement and identify possible deliverables for the prime minister’s visit.
India’s outgoing ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, also discussed Shah’s proposed visit during a farewell meeting with the prime minister on Tuesday. Srivastava is completing his four-year diplomatic assignment in Nepal and is returning to India.
Officials have indicated that the visit could take place after the second week of November, although the date remains subject to agreement between the two governments.
Khanal also highlighted the international attention generated by Prime Minister Shah’s address to the UN General Assembly.
Shah addressed the 81st session of the General Assembly in New York on September 24, focusing on Nepal’s climate vulnerability, the impact of recent disasters on mountain communities and the need for stronger international support.
Khanal said the speech had generated considerable international interest, particularly because Shah was presenting Nepal’s position at the global forum following the country’s recent devastating floods.
During the UN visit, Nepal also sought greater international support for climate resilience and disaster recovery. The government has called for stronger climate finance and grant-based assistance for vulnerable countries affected by climate-related disasters.
FACEBOOK COMMENTS