Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri To Visit Nepal On Sunday

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India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will on Sunday meet Nepal's President Ramchandra Paudel and Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli to discuss matters of mutual interest.

On Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Misri will reach Kathmandu on Sunday for a two day official visit to discuss connectivity, development cooperation, among other issues.

The foreign secretary of India, who is visiting Nepal at the invitation of his Nepalese counterpart Amrit Bahadur Rai, will also meet Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba.

"During Misri's visit, the two foreign secretaries will hold discussions on various aspects of Nepal-India partnership, with focus on connectivity, development cooperation and other matters of mutual interest," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement said.

Sources in the foreign minister's secretariat said Misri will call on President Paudel at President’s Office 'Sheetalniwas' and will meet Prime Minister Oli at PM’s official residence at Baluwatar.

Misri will also hold a bilateral meeting with his Nepalese counterpart Rai on Sunday itself.

He is likely to meet Nepal's top political leaders, including Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN-Maoist Centre chair Pushpakamal Dahal 'Prachanda,' the sources added.

Misri will leave Kathmandu on Aug. 18 after wrapping up his visit.

In New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India attaches high priority to its relations with Nepal under its Neighbourhood First policy.

"The foreign secretary's upcoming visit continues the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and will be an opportunity to further advance our bilateral ties," the MEA said.

People familiar with the matter said the main focus of Misri's engagements in Kathmandu will be on preparing the ground for Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli's trip to New Delhi next month.

Oli is likely to visit India around Sept. 16, according to diplomatic sources. However, the official announcement is yet to be made.