Foreign Secretary of India, Shri Vikram Misri paid an official visit to Nepal from 11-12 August 2024 at the invitation of the Foreign Secretary of Nepal, Ms. Sewa Lamsal. This was Foreign Secretary’s first visit to Nepal after assuming office last month.
Foreign Secretary met his counterpart, the Foreign Secretary of Nepal today. Their wide-ranging discussions covered various aspects of the multifaceted cooperation between India and Nepal. Both Foreign Secretaries reviewed the progress made in various bilateral initiatives and developmental projects and discussed opportunities for further collaboration. The Foreign Secretary of Nepal also hosted a lunch for the visiting delegation.
Foreign Secretary called on the President of Nepal, Ramchandra Paudel and the Prime Minister of Nepal, K.P. Sharma Oli yesterday. He conveyed to them greetings from the leadership in India and also briefed them on the progress being made in various aspects of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
Today, the Foreign Secretary also called on Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Urban Development Prakash Man Singh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Bishnu Prasad Paudel, Minister for Home Affairs Ramesh Lekhak and Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba. Ways to further strengthen India-Nepal cooperation in a variety of mutually beneficial areas were discussed during these meetings.
During the various engagements, both sides affirmed the close and friendly relations between India and Nepal which are deeply rooted in historical, cultural, civilizational and people-to-people ties. Both sides noted with satisfaction the substantial progress achieved in recent years in bilateral cooperation, especially in the various areas of connectivity – physical, digital, energy as well as people-to-people, which is manifested in the steady implementation of infrastructure projects related to roads, bridges, Integrated Check Posts, cross-border railways as well as petroleum pipelines.
Both sides also appreciated the progress made in the mutually beneficial partnership in the field of power sector cooperation, which has seen substantial progress in recent years. In this context, it was noted with satisfaction that the manifold increase in Nepal’s hydropower export to India in the last 2-3 years has created an additional source of revenue for Nepal and of clean energy for India. The role of power sector cooperation in Nepal’s graduation from LDC status in 2026 was also highlighted.
Foreign Secretary also met other senior political leaders as well as members of the civil society of Nepal.
During the visit, the Foreign Secretary, along with Mr. Mani Ram Gelal, Secretary of the Ministry of Urban Development of Nepal, also jointly inaugurated the ‘Nepal Bhasa Parishad’, a historical residential building associated with eminent Nepali poet, Kavi Kesari Chittadhar ‘Hridaya’ in Raktakali in the heart of Kathmandu’s old town. This is one of the 28 cultural sector reconstruction projects undertaken with the Government of India’s assistance after the devastating 2015 earthquake.
Nepal is a priority partner of India under its Neighbourhood First policy. The Foreign Secretary’s visit continued the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and helped advance our bilateral ties further
