Vikram Misri (L) shaking hands with his Nepali counterpart, Sewa Lamsal, during their meeting in Kathmandu. (Photo: X/@MofaNepal)
New Delhi: The foreign secretary, Vikram Misri, completed a successful two-day visit to Nepal on Friday. His trip was aimed at further strengthening bilateral ties between the two neighbouring countries. The visit marked Misri’s first official trip to Nepal since assuming his post as India’s foreign secretary.
During his visit, Misri engaged in extensive discussions with key Nepali leaders, including the country’s president, Ramchandra Paudel, and the prime minister, Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli. The meetings focused on enhancing bilateral cooperation across various sectors, including economic development, infrastructure, and energy.
The visiting Foreign Secretary of India Shri Vikram Misri paid a courtesy call on the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister Mr. K P Sharma Oli at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar today. Various matters of mutual interest were discussed on the occasion. pic.twitter.com/b5wkUPNc3R
— MOFA of Nepal ?? (@MofaNepal) August 11, 2024
Misri also met his Nepali counterpart, Sewa Lamsal. The two officials reviewed the progress of ongoing bilateral projects and explored new avenues for collaboration. They emphasized the importance of expediting India-funded projects in Nepal, particularly in the areas of infrastructure and connectivity.
Misri also held talks with the two Nepali deputy prime ministers, Prakash Man Singh and Bishnu Prasad Paudel; the Nepali home minister, Ramesh Lekhak, and the Nepali foreign minister, Arzu Rana Deuba. These discussions covered a wide range of topics, including the enhancement of air connectivity between the two countries and the establishment of a sophisticated laboratory at the Nepal-India border to monitor the quality of agricultural imports.
In addition to these high-level meetings, Misri and senior Nepali officials addressed several pending issues, such as the finalization of the detailed project report for the Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project and the discharge of water in the Tanakpur canal. They also discussed the inauguration of a suspension bridge in Darchula, which will further strengthen cross-border connectivity.
