Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal reached New Delhi on Friday as Rastriya Swatantra Party chief Rabi Lamichhane concluded his five-day visit to the southern neighbour, as part of continuing high-level engagement between the two countries. Khanal is visiting at the invitation of his Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar.
He is scheduled to hold talks with Jaishankar and other officials on Saturday, though Nepali officials say a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is unlikely.
As soon as he reached Delhi on Friday, he held talks with National Security Adviser of India Ajit Doval, said a member of the delegation, issues related to enhancing security cooperation between Nepal and India were discussed.
Upon landing in the Indian capital, Khanal addressed a roundtable organised by the India Foundation, a New Delhi based think tank close to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
Earlier, speaking to reporters at Tribhuvan International Airport before departure, Khanal said that all aspects of bilateral relations would be on the table.
Asked whether he would raise the ongoing boundary dispute with India, he said, “I cannot say anything specific right now. However, we will certainly discuss all issues that are priorities for us.”
Announcing the three-day visit, the foreign ministry said on Thursday the two sides will discuss matters of mutual interest, with a view to enhancing cooperation across key areas including trade, investment, connectivity, energy and people-to-people ties.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said the visit continues the tradition of regular high-level exchanges, and will help further strengthen the special partnership between the two countries.
“We have an extensive agenda with Nepal, ranging from development cooperation and people-to-people ties to trade and investment. We are keen to further strengthen this multifaceted partnership,” said Jaiswal.
When asked to comment on the recent remarks by Prime Minister Shah on boundary, Jaiswal said, the meeting will cover all relevant bilateral issues.
“Regarding border matters, we have clarified our position and have a bilateral mechanism in place to discuss and resolve such issues.”
This is Khanal’s first official visit to India as foreign minister, and he is scheduled to meet Jaishankar for the second time. Earlier, he met the Indian minister on the sidelines of the Ninth Indian Ocean Conference in Mauritius, where they discussed ways to advance Nepal-India relations.
They had agreed to hold detailed discussions in Kathmandu on the priorities of the new government. Jaishankar had also proposed sending Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to Kathmandu to engage with the new government, but the visit did not materialise after Prime Minister Balendra Shah declined to meet him, citing protocol concerns.
Boundary dispute resurfaced after India and China decided to resume the Kailash-Manasarovar pilgrimage via Lipulekh, which has traditionally been part of the Nepali territory.
After Misri’s visit to Kathmandu was postponed, Khanal was invited to attend the first international big cat conference in Delhi. But the conference scheduled for June 1 was postponed after the Ebola outbreak in some parts of Africa.
With Lamichhane having already initiated discussions in New Delhi, Khanal will represent the government in talks with his Indian counterpart Jaishankar and other officials.
During the visit, both sides are expected to discuss several long-pending projects, ranging from connectivity initiatives to contentious issues. These include the Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project, East-West Railway, Janakpur-Ayodhya railway, Indian flights to Pokhara and Bhairahawa International Airports, and issues related to trade and transit.
Anil Giri is a Chief Sub Editor covering diplomacy, international relations and national politics for The Kathmandu Post. Giri has been working as a journalist for more than two decades, contributing to numerous national and international media outlets.
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