Sushma Swaraj in Kathmandu for bilateral talks

PRASHANT ACHARYA, EOI, KATHMANDU, 25 Jul 2014: India’s external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj reached Kathmandu this morning on a special flight to interact with her counterparts in Nepal. Swaraj is being accompanied by foreign secretary Sujatha Singh, and they are slated to meet top Nepalese leaders to discuss Indo-Nepal ties and pick up from where the previous UPA government had left. 

Swaraj’s visit to Nepal assumes significance in the wake of Prime MinisterNarendra Modi’s outreach policy to India’s neighbours, with the premier himself repeatedly reiterating India must forge stronger ties with her next door neighbours.

As for Nepal, which is seeing a relatively longer spell of political stability at the present, Swaraj’s visit is an opportunity to focus on key areas that include infrastructure, trade and security. Swaraj is the first high-level foreign official to visit Nepal after the second Constituent Assembly elections held in that country in November of last year.

The Nepal Prime Ministerial Office today also confirmed about Modi’s visit to Nepal from August 3-5.

Nepal foreign minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandey said, “Her (Swaraj’s) visit will help improve bilateral understanding at the political level and strengthen mutual trust. Besides reviewing the status of bilateral projects, the joint commission set up by the two neighbours will be meeting after a gap of 23 years and review bilateral relations in their entirety.”

Pandey also said security, trade and commerce, development agenda and hydro projects will be discussed during his Indian counterpart’s visit.

Meanwhile, Swaraj reportedly had no official engagement for Friday evening after landing in Kathmandu. She co-chaired a joint committee meeting with Pandey and will call on President Ram Baran Yadav and Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, among other top political leaders.

Swaraj is also being accompanied by officials from India’s ministries of power, water resources, commerce, road transport, railways, human resource development, culture, and external affairs and the Indian Council of Cultural Relations. Each side comprises a 27-member delegation.

Swaraj will also visit the famous Pashupatinath Temple Sunday and offer prayers before flying back to Delhi.