Nepal FM’s India Visit to Focus on Connectivity, Energy Cooperation and Key Bilateral Projects

Kathmandu: Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal will begin a three-day official visit to India from June 5 to 7 at the invitation of India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, with discussions expected to centre on connectivity, energy cooperation, trade and major infrastructure projects.

The visit marks Khanal's first official trip to India since Nepal's current government took office on March 27 and comes shortly after the India visit of Rabi Lamichhane.

According to Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Khanal will hold formal talks with Jaishankar in New Delhi, where both sides are expected to review bilateral cooperation and explore ways to strengthen ties across several sectors.

Key topics on the agenda include trade, investment, energy, transport links and people-to-people exchanges. Officials said improving connectivity between the two neighbours will be a major focus of the discussions, covering railway, road and air connectivity projects.

The visit follows recent remarks by Lamichhane after meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in which he highlighted the potential for deeper cooperation through seamless connectivity, digital corridors and shared cultural links.

Among Nepal's priorities is securing additional air routes from India for its newly developed international airports in Lumbini and Pokhara. Nepal currently relies heavily on a single southern entry point for most international flights, limiting operational flexibility.

The two countries are also expected to discuss progress on the proposed Raxaul–Kathmandu Railway, for which India has already completed a detailed feasibility study. The railway is considered one of the most significant connectivity projects between the two nations.

Officials indicated that Khanal's visit will focus on accelerating progress on several pending initiatives, including the Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project, the East-West Railway project, the Janakpur-Ayodhya railway link, and operational issues related to international airports in Pokhara and Bhairahawa.

The visit is also expected to lay the groundwork for the next meeting of the Nepal-India Joint Commission, co-chaired by the foreign ministers of both countries. The last meeting of the commission was held in January 2024.

During that session, India and Nepal signed a landmark long-term power trade agreement under which India agreed to purchase 10,000 MW of electricity from Nepal over a 10-year period, significantly boosting Nepal's energy export prospects.

While border issues involving the disputed regions of Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura have recently resurfaced in political debate, Nepalese officials clarified that the matter is not part of the agenda for Khanal's current visit.

The trip is being viewed as an important step in advancing Nepal's development-focused diplomacy and strengthening cooperation with India on infrastructure, energy and economic integration.

With inputs from IANS