Kathmandu, November 5
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who is visiting Kathmandu, is scheduled to hold a courtesy meeting with Prime Minister Balendra Shah today. He will return to India this afternoon after completing his engagements.
Misri arrived in Kathmandu on Wednesday morning as part of preparations for Prime Minister Shah’s proposed visit to India. He has been engaged in a series of meetings since his arrival.
On Wednesday, he held separate meetings with Finance Minister Dr Swarnim Wagle, Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal, Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha, Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal and Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai.
A source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said a courtesy meeting with Prime Minister Shah had been scheduled for Thursday.
The meeting is being closely watched, particularly because reports emerged several months ago that Misri had postponed a previously scheduled visit to Nepal after a meeting with the prime minister could not be arranged.
Officials from Nepal and India are preparing for Shah to visit India in the second week of December, according to sources. Newly appointed Indian Ambassador to Nepal Sudhakar Dalela also arrived in Kathmandu on Tuesday as part of the preparations.
On October 28, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal announced during a regular media briefing that India had invited the Nepali prime minister to visit.
Sources say officials at Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs are preparing to announce the formal dates of Shah’s India visit soon. The dates could be made public after Misri’s current visit, according to the sources.
