New Delhi: Days after Rastriya Swatantra Party chief Rabi Lamichhane’s visit to India at the invitation of BJP, Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal is set to make his first official visit to New Delhi on 6 June, at the invitation of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. During the three-day visit, Khanal is also expected to hold talks with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.
Among the key issues on the agenda will be the Pancheshwar multipurpose project, the proposed East-West Railway, plans for a rail link connecting Janakpur and Ayodhya, expanded petroleum pipeline infrastructure and efforts to improve trade and transit arrangements. Nepal is also seeking additional air entry routes from India to support operations at the country’s two newest international airports, in Pokhara and Bhairahawa, both of which have struggled to attract international traffic since opening.
Discussions will likely also cover digital cooperation, including the implementation of cross-border QR payment systems that would allow Nepali citizens to use electronic payment platforms more easily while travelling in India.
The two foreign ministers previously met on the sidelines of the Indian Ocean Conference in Mauritius, where they agreed to intensify diplomatic engagement and explore ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation under Nepal’s new political leadership.
Relations between the two countries have been strained in recent months, particularly over border dispute involving the Lipulekh region. Tensions resurfaced after India and China agreed to resume pilgrimage to Kailash-Manasarovar through Lipulekh, a territory that Nepal claims as its own.
Kathmandu lodged diplomatic protests with both New Delhi and Beijing. Newly elected Prime Minister Balen Shah later sought China and UK’s support for resolving the dispute, claiming that Nepal too had encroached on Indian territory. India later responded by maintaining that border issues should be addressed exclusively through established bilateral mechanisms, rejecting the prospect of third-party mediation.
Against this backdrop, Khanal’s visit is expected to focus on rebuilding political trust, while also discussing a range of economic and connectivity projects between the two countries. The visit comes after his planned trip to Delhi last month was postponed following India’s decision to defer the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit due to the rise in Ebola cases in Africa.
Meanwhile, this week, RSP Chairman Lamichhane and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to pursue a fresh chapter in Nepal-India relations during a high-profile meeting in New Delhi. Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, along with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, were also present at the meeting.
According to Kathmandu Post, Lamichhane told Modi that RSP carried no historical political baggage and sought to build a new framework for engagement with India. Modi, congratulating the party on its strong electoral performance, said India was ready to work closely with Nepal’s new leadership and support the country’s development priorities.
However, boundary disputes were not formally discussed, even as both sides focused on expanding cooperation through what Lamichhane has described as “development diplomacy”, including connectivity, tourism, hydropower and digital infrastructure.
Modi said that Nepal remains a priority under India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy and expressed readiness to deepen cooperation once Kathmandu identifies its key development goals. He also extended an invitation to Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah to visit India.
(Edited by Prakhar Agrawal)
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