India-Nepal ties in focus as Khanal begins three-day visit

Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal will visit India from June 5-7 for talks with S. Jaishankar on trade, investment, connectivity and energy cooperation. The visit comes amid recent diplomatic exchanges over Nepal's remarks on its border dispute with India

Kathmandu: Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Shisir Khanal will visit India from June 5 to 7 at the invitation of his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar, the government said on Thursday.

Khanal’s visit comes amid a controversy triggered by Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s remarks in the parliament. Shah said on May 31 that apart from discussions with India on a long-standing border dispute, Kathmandu was in touch with China and the UK as well. Two days later, New Delhi categorically rejected any role for third parties to resolve its boundary dispute with Nepal.

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Announcing the dates of Khanal’s India visit, the Nepal government on Thursday said in a statement that he will hold a formal meeting with Jaishankar in New Delhi. “The two sides will discuss matters of mutual interest, with a view to enhancing cooperation across key areas including trade, investment, connectivity, energy and people-to-people ties,” it said.

As part of regular exchange of high-level visits, this one will further consolidate the enduring and multifaceted bilateral relations between Nepal and India, said the foreign ministry statement.

The visit will be the first to India by a minister from PM Shah’s government since it assumed office in March. Nepal’s leaders have traditionally attached importance to early engagement with New Delhi, reflecting the close political, economic and people-to-people ties between the neighbours.

Earlier this week, the chairman of Nepal’s ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party Rabi Lamichhane arrived in New Delhi and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“I welcome and fully share his 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 said on X after the meeting on Wednesday.