Foreign Secretary Misri calls on Nepal's PM Shah discusses bilateral ties

    Kathmandu, Nov 5 (PTI) Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Thursday and discussed issues of mutual interest and ways to further bolster bilateral cooperation in several areas.

    The main purpose of the foreign secretary's two-day visit to Nepal was to discuss Prime Minister Shah's upcoming visit to India.

    Foreign Secretary Misri called on PM Shah and conveyed to him greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Embassy of India in Kathmandu said.

    "The discussion focused on the implementation of various bilateral initiatives, and possibilities for further enhancement of India-Nepal cooperation across domains, especially in the context of the forthcoming high-level visit," it said in a post on X.

    During the meeting at Singha Durbar, Foreign Secretary Misri said India has been making necessary preparations for the successful visit of Prime Minister Shah, the PM Office said in a statement here.

    Prime Minister Shah expressed gratitude to the government of India for providing relief materials as the first responder after the devastating Rasuwa-Bhotekoshi flood and for providing assistance by sending a rescue team, the statement said.

    He expressed gratitude to PM Modi for expressing solidarity through a telephone call at a time when Nepal was suffering from the disaster, it said.

    The Prime Minister also expressed interest in how Nepal can collaborate with India for the development of its sports sector.

    Misri informed the Prime Minister that regular meetings of bilateral mechanisms of Nepal and India are being successfully conducted in the areas of energy, water resources, trade and transit and civil aviation.

    He also said that necessary preparations have been completed regarding the operation of the railway line between Ayodhya and Janakpur in Nepal.

    Prime Minister Shah is expected to visit India later this month.

    Misri, who arrived in Kathmandu on Wednesday, held delegation-level bilateral talks with Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai on the same day.

    He also separately met Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal, Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle, and Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha and discussed ongoing projects and initiatives as well as ways to enhance bilateral cooperation.

    He also met Minister of Infrastructure Development Sunil Lamsal, who "shared his valuable insights on ways of enhancing bilateral cooperation, including in infrastructure and connectivity," the Indian mission said.

    Nepal is important for India in the context of its overall strategic interests in the region, and leaders of the two countries have often noted the age-old "Roti Beti" relationship.

    Land-locked Nepal relies heavily on India for the transportation of goods and services. Nepal's access to the sea is through India, and it imports a predominant proportion of its requirements from and through India.

    In May, the bilateral relations came under some unease following Shah's remarks seeking involvement of China and the UK to address the long-standing border dispute between India and Nepal.

    New Delhi categorically rejected any role for third parties to resolve its boundary row with Nepal, saying the two countries have an established bilateral mechanism to deal with all aspects of the border issue.

    Nepal and India have had an old boundary dispute over Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani. India has consistently maintained that the territories are part of Uttarakhand.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)