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Kathmandu, Aug 7: Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is visiting Kathmandu on August 17 for two days to prepare for Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s official India visit, currently scheduled for September 16. This will be Misri’s second visit to Nepal since assuming office in July 2024.

Misri is coming at the invitation of Nepal’s Foreign Secretary Amrit Rai and is expected to meet Prime Minister Oli, Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, and other leaders. His visit aims to finalize agendas, possible agreements, and plan Oli’s travel schedule, including the possibility of extending the trip beyond Delhi. As per tradition, Nepali prime ministers often make religious or industrial visits outside Delhi, but Oli’s itinerary beyond the capital is still undecided.

Although a formal announcement is pending, officials confirmed preparations are underway and the visit is nearly confirmed. Oli is expected to hold delegation-level talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17, which is also Modi’s birthday.

Oli has been seeking this visit since he became prime minister in July 2024, hoping to improve strained ties with India after a boundary dispute in 2019. Previous meetings with Modi in New York and Bangkok lacked substance, but a renewed push and ongoing diplomatic talks have now opened the door for the visit.

Ahead of the trip, Nepal and India have wrapped up important meetings. These include home secretary-level talks where a mutual legal assistance agreement on criminal matters was finalized and the boundary working group agreed to complete border work, excluding Susta and Kalapani, in three years. Talks have also seen progress in trade, transit, and Indian-backed projects.

Officials are hopeful that these developments signal a cooperative tone from India during Oli’s upcoming visit.

People’s News Monitoring Service