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By Our Reporter

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who has, of late, criticised India for not accepting the report prepared by the Eminent Persons Group during his first stint as the Prime Minister of Nepal in 2016, is willing to meet his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly which began in New York on Tuesday.

However, his plan to meet Modi is likely to fail as the Indian Prime Minister is not attending the UNGA this time. Instead of Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishanker is leading the Indian delegation to the UNGA.

However, Indian Prime Minister Modi is attending the “Summit of the Future” organised by the UN on September 22 and 23 in New York.

PM Oli is leaving New York to attend the 79th General Assembly of the United Nations on September 20. A Cabinet meeting last week approved his visit.

Although the Foreign Ministry made a formal request to the Indian External Affairs Ministry for the meeting, Nepal has not received confirmation about the meeting.

The high-level discussions in the UNGA are scheduled from September 24 to 28.

PM Oli is also scheduled to attend the “Summit of the Future”, and he is likely to meet Modi there, but they are not likely to hold any meeting.

On September 21, Modi is attending the QUAD Summit of four countries—USA, India, Japan and Australia.

Oli has not been on good terms with India since his previous terms. In 2016, when Oli became the PM for the first time in Nepal, he heavily criticised India for imposing a blockade in 2015 after Nepal promulgated its new constitution. During his second term, Oli issued a new map of Nepal including the territory of Lipulek and other areas grabbed by India, which further irked India.

Even India had tried its best to prevent Oli from becoming the Prime Minister this time, but when the Nepali Congress decided to back him, the Indian attempts failed.

India has not invited Oli for any visit although Oli sent an invitation to Modi through Foreign Minister Arzu Rana who went to India last month. Oli and Nepali Congress president appointed Arzu Rana as Nepal’s foreign minister as Rana has good relations with the leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. During her visit to India last month, she met with Modi as well as other top leaders of India. But Oli has not been provided the opportunity.