28 March, Kathmandu. Although there is a theoretical agreement between the two countries about Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s visit to India, the visit will take place only after some time.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also invited Shah to visit India in his congratulatory letter after his election as Prime Minister. Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal told Online Khabar that Prime Minister Shah had mentioned that he would ‘visit India at an appropriate time’.

According to him, in the talks with the Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, there was an agreement in principle about the Prime Minister’s visit to India. However, Minister Khanal said during a conversation with Online Khabar on Saturday evening that there is still a lot of preparation to be done before setting the date.

Along with other bilateral issues, high-level visits between the two countries were also discussed. “The date has not been fixed,” said Foreign Minister Khanal.

During the sideline talks during the participation in the 9th Indian Ocean Conference being held in Mauritius, there was a conversation about the election of Nepal and the priorities of the new government formed after that.

During that, Foreign Minister Khanal said that he informed the Indian Foreign Minister that the new government is reviewing Nepal’s foreign policy along with various dimensions of Nepal-India relations.

There is a very deep political, economic and people-level relationship between Nepal and India. We are studying about that. In that process, Nepal will determine the priorities of the relationship between the two countries,” Minister Khanal said. “After that, let’s negotiate and discuss between the two countries through various mechanisms. I said that we should also prepare for a high-level visit.’

He said that Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar also took the matter positively. ‘Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar also took it positively,’ said Minister Khanal.

There are more than 40 different bilateral mechanisms between Nepal and India. He also said that an agreement was reached between the two ministers to intensify the dialogue and cooperation between the two countries by activating those mechanisms.

Indian Foreign Secretary to visit Nepal

Before the Prime Minister’s visit, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Mishri will visit Nepal.

Minister Khanal said that Jaishankar informed that he will send Foreign Secretary Mishri on a visit to Nepal so that after the Nepal government has determined its priorities, along with the introductory visit, preparations will also be made for a high-level visit.

‘After we are prepared with new priorities, the first thing is likely to be the visit of the Indian Foreign Secretary to Nepal, that visit will be a goodwill visit, along with the technical preparations for the high-level visit,’ Minister Khanal said, ‘Only after that, the date of the Prime Minister’s visit will be decided upon agreement between the two parties. It will not be a visit immediately.’

According to sources in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the visit of the Indian Foreign Secretary to Nepal may take place within a month. Ministry sources said that the Foreign Secretary will invite the Foreign Minister of Nepal to visit India and there is a possibility that Minister Khanal may visit India before the Prime Minister’s visit.

Before the Prime Minister’s visit, it is an old practice that the Foreign Minister visits the respective country to prepare for it. If so, it is likely to happen even now. However, it has not been decided,’ said the ministry source.

On the sidelines of the conference, Minister Khanal also met with foreign ministers of Bhutan, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Singapore and other countries.