Kamal Ghorui
New Delhi: Foreign secretary Vikram Misri is likely to travel to Nepal next month for what will be the first high-level bilateral visit since the new govt led by PM Balendra Shah assumed office. While Nepalese media reported that the visit could take place on May 11-12, official sources said the dates were still being worked out. Both sides see the visit as an opportunity to further expand collaboration in multiple sectors. According to sources, the visit was proposed when external affairs minister S Jaishankar met his counterpart Shishir Khanal on the margins of the Indian Ocean Conference in Mauritius earlier this month. This was the first high-level contact between the two countries since Shah took charge. Misri is also expected to officially extend an invitation on behalf of Modi to Shah for the visit. However, as diplomatic sources said, both sides need to first discuss the new govt’s focus and priorities before going ahead with any ministerial visit. Significantly, the new govt in Nepal has hosted high-ranking officials from the US and China.
