India Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra arrived in Kathmandu on Monday on a two-day visit at the invitation of his counterpart, Bharat Raj Poudyal.
He was welcomed by Indian Ambassador to Kathmandu, Naveen Srivastava and recieved by Poudyal at the airport. As soon as he arrived in Kathmandu, both Poudyal and Kwatra sat for delegation level talks where they will review and revisit the entire gamut of bilateral ties.
This is the first high-level visit from India after Pushpa Kamal Dahal became prime minister on December 25 last year.
Kwatra and his Nepali counterpart Paudyal will be reviewing the status of Indian-funded projects in Nepal, among other things. He will call on President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister Dahal, and former prime minister duo Sher Bahadur Deuba and K.P. Sharma Oli, among others, and discuss the entire gamut of bilateral ties.
Kwatra is also expected to hand over Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's invitation letter to Prime Minister Dahal to visit India.
Since the prime minister Prachanda is preoccupied with the upcoming presidential elections scheduled for March 9, it is still unclear whether the prime minister will pay a visit to the southern neighbour before the elections.
During Kwatra's visit, Nepali and Indian officials will discuss various matters of bilateral cooperation such as connectivity, power trade, agriculture, health, and culture, among other things, according to the foreign ministry.
In a statement, India's Ministry of External Affairs said this will be the first stand-alone visit by the foreign secretary to Nepal since he assumed charge. He was appointed foreign secretary in April last year.
Both Poudyal and Kwatra will discuss various bilateral engagements including in energy, power sector, connectivity, boundary and border, trade, commerce, transit, development and economic cooperation among others and review the progress made in various projects, according to the officials.
The visit is in keeping with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and the priority India attaches to its relations with Nepal under its 'Neighbourhood First' policy, the Indian ministry said.
"India has historical and civilisational linkages with Nepal, and bilateral cooperation between the two countries has strengthened in the recent years, with several major infrastructure and cross-border connectivity projects completed with India's assistance. The visit will be an opportunity to further advance our bilateral ties,' the Indian ministry added.
Militant serving life term escapes from Tripura’s central jail
A militant belonging to the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT), Swarna Kumar Tripura, who was serving a life sentence in multiple cases, escaped from the central jail in Tripura’s Sepahijala district on Tuesday, the police said.
Tripura: Three-tier gram panchayat elections to be held in July
Election to the three-tier Gram Panchayats in Tripura will be held in the last week of July and the necessary preparations have started, State Election Commissioner (SEC) Saradindu Chaudhuri said on Tuesday.
PM Modi has assets worth Rs 3.02 crore, owns no house or car
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday declared his total assets amounting to Rs 3.02 crore in his poll affidavit filed along with his nomination papers for the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency.
PM Modi working 18-19 hours every day to transform India: Hardeep Puri
Even though Prime Minister Modi himself has attributed the rise of India to the efforts of 140 crore people of the country, Puri lauded PM Modi's vision for the huge transformation that is taking place in the country.
SC dismisses plea seeking six-year ban on PM Modi from elections
The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to entertain a plea seeking directions to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to disqualify Prime Minister Narendra Modi from elections for six years for “seeking votes in the name of religious deities and places of worship”.
Kolkata Police submit report on another 'outrage of modesty' complaint against Bengal Governor
Kolkata Police, on Tuesday, submitted to state secretariat Nabanna a confidential report on another complaint of “outrage of modesty” against West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose filed by an Odissi dancer last year.
Pace of development in Kashi will get faster, promises PM Modi after filing nomination
Seeking a third consecutive term from Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday promised that the pace of work "will get even faster in the times to come" in the holy city.
Pakistani intruder arrested near LoC in Jammu
“During the search operation, a Pakistani intruder identified as Zahir Khan of Karachi was arrested in Milan de Khui village near the LoC in Pallanwalla area of Khour tehsil of Jammu district," said officials here.