New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shisir Khanal, will pay an official visit to India from June 5 to 7 at the invitation of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. The visit marks the latest high-level diplomatic engagement aimed at further strengthening the close bilateral partnership between the two neighbouring nations. It stands as the first official visit by a minister from Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s government to India since it assumed office in March, reflecting the traditional importance Kathmandu attaches to early engagement with New Delhi.
During his stay in New Delhi, Khanal will hold formal talks with Jaishankar to review progress on key bilateral initiatives spanning cross-border connectivity, infrastructure, energy cooperation, and economic integration. The discussions are highly expected to focus on enhancing mutual cooperation across trade, investment, petroleum pipelines, rail links, and development partnership projects. Officials noted that the forthcoming dialogue will also allow both sides to exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest while identifying fresh areas of collaboration.
This visit follows a period of sustained political engagement between the two countries, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent meeting with the chairman of Nepal’s ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party, Rabi Lamichhane. Modi previously described Nepal as a priority partner under India’s Neighbourhood First policy, expressing immense confidence in the growth of their special relationship. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal, this visit forms part of a regular exchange that is expected to further consolidate the enduring, civilisational, and multifaceted ties forming the bedrock of India-Nepal relations before Khanal returns to Kathmandu on June 7.
