Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra will be on an official visit to Nepal from 13-14 February 2023 at the invitation of the Foreign Secretary of Nepal, Bharat Raj Paudyal. This will be the first stand-alone visit of the Foreign Secretary to Nepal since he assumed charge.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said 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.
As per the reports, it is expected that Kwatra will also discuss the possibility of a visit to India by Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’.
The MEA announced that during the visit, the two Foreign Secretaries will hold discussions on the entire range of multifaceted cooperation between India and Nepal.
Foreign secretary Kwatra has earlier served as Indian ambassador to Nepal from May 2020 to April last year.
“India has historical and civilizational linkages with Nepal, and bilateral cooperation between the two countries has strengthened in 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,” MEA’s spokesperson said.
Nepal shares a border of more than 1,850 km with five Indian states – Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.