- Prime Minister Balen Shah will soon make his first official state visit to India following an invitation from PM Narendra Modi.
- Indian and Nepali officials are currently finalizing the agenda, with the high-level visit expected to occur very soon.
- Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri arrives in Kathmandu this month to conclude the itinerary for the Prime Minister’s trip.
- A previous March visit was postponed because Shah prioritized completing his government's initial "honeymoon period" over foreign travel.
Kathmandu, Nepal: Prime Minister Balendra "Balen" Shah is set to embark on his first official state visit to Nepal's southern neighbor, India.
Although diplomatic sources have yet to reveal the exact date and neither government has officially announced the itinerary, a reliable diplomatic source in Nepal confirmed that the visit will take place "very soon."
According to high-level diplomatic sources, officials from both nations are currently working to finalize the dates and agenda for bilateral discussions. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly extended the formal invitation to Prime Minister Shah.
Additionally, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is scheduled to arrive in Kathmandu later this month for a secretary-level meeting. This meeting aims to finalize the itinerary before Prime Minister Shah departs for New Delhi.
An earlier, tentative date for the visit had been set for March, but it did not materialize. While the exact reasons behind the postponement of that unconfirmed visit were not officially disclosed, widespread media reports suggested that Prime Minister Shah expressed reluctance to travel at the time. He reportedly stated that he would not undertake any foreign visits before completing his government's initial "honeymoon period."
Following that delay, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane visited India.
