Focus on boosting bilateral ties

Prime Minister of Nepal K.P. Sharma Oli will pay a visit to India from April 6 to 8, the External Affairs Ministry has announced.

This will be his first visit since he was elected Prime Minister in the historic election in Nepal organised under the newly adopted Constitution.

“The upcoming visit will provide an opportunity to the two sides to review wide-ranging cooperative partnership, and to progress it further for the benefit of the two peoples,” a Ministry release said.

Apart from his visit to Delhi, Mr. Oli, who will be accompanied by his spouse Radhika Shakya, will visit Pantnagar in Uttarakhand, the statement said.

“The entourage of the Prime Minister will comprise Ministers, Members of Parliament, secretaries and other high-ranking officials of the Government of Nepal,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal said in an announcement.

Show of confidence

The visit is a show of confidence by Mr. Oli who contested the election on a populist anti-India platform. Former Indian Ambassador to Kathmandu Ranjit Rae said Mr. Oli commanded an overwhelming majority in the Parliament of Nepal and therefore will provide political stability to the country.

“Apart from moving ahead from past difficulties, this visit will be an opportunity to showcase that Nepal is now ready to move on the path of economic development, especially in the hydro power sector.

Mr. Oli is a powerful Prime Minister of Nepal and we have to engage him,” Mr. Rae said.

Economic blockade

Nepal faced a crippling economic blockade during Mr. Oli’s previous stint from 2015 to 2016 which left an impact on India-Nepal ties. Mr. Oli’s predecessor, Sher Bahadur Deuba, visited India in the winter of 2017.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and other Ministers will call on the Nepalese Prime Minister, the Ministry said.

He will hold talks with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, and call on President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu during his trip.