Preparations step up for Prime Minister Balen Shah's India visit as Misri holds talks in Kathmandu

Diplomatic discussions between Nepal and India have intensified around Prime Minister Balendra Shah's proposed visit to India, with visiting Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri holding meetings with ministers and senior officials in Kathmandu on Wednesday.

Misri, who came to Nepal at the invitation of Foreign Secretary Amrit Rai, held bilateral talks with Rai. The Foreign Ministry said the talks covered preparations for the prime minister's upcoming visit, the subjects that could be raised during it, and making the relationship between the two countries more effective.

Connectivity was kept at the centre of the discussions, including links by air, rail, road and bridge. Trade facilitation, development partnership, wider energy cooperation and stronger people-to-people relations were also discussed.

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On Wednesday, Misri met Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle, Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha, and Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal separately. The finance meeting covered strengthening the Nepal-India economic partnership, the energy meeting reviewed cooperation in energy and water resources and the state of projects in Nepal, and the infrastructure meeting covered roads, bridges and expanding the connectivity network.

The prime minister's visit is being prepared for the first week of Mangsir, and the Foreign Ministry said Misri's Nepal visit was aimed at that visit, with ministries being consulted to give final shape to the subjects to be raised.

Misri is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Shah on Thursday morning, when visit preparations and bilateral priorities are also expected to be discussed. Despite the identification of possible subjects in the foreign secretary-level talks and ministerial consultations, the ministry said the final agenda for the prime minister's visit has not yet been settled.