August 11th 2024.
On a sunny Sunday morning, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri made his way to Kathmandu for an official two-day visit upon the invitation of Nepalese counterpart Sewa Lamsal. As Misri stepped off the plane at the Tribhuvan International Airport, he was greeted with a warm welcome from Lamsal, setting the tone for a productive visit.
During his stay, Misri is scheduled to meet with various Nepalese officials to discuss ways to further strengthen the bilateral relations between India and Nepal. This is in line with India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy, which aims to strengthen ties with its neighboring countries. The Ministry of External Affairs had earlier announced the visit, stating that it is a continuation of the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two nations.
The close relationship between India and Nepal is rooted in their shared history, culture, and people-to-people connections. In recent years, this bilateral cooperation has only grown stronger, with the completion of major infrastructure and connectivity projects in Nepal with the assistance of the Indian government. The MEA emphasized this in a statement, adding that Misri's visit will provide an opportunity to further advance the bilateral ties.
This visit by Misri also holds significance as it is the first by any Indian official since the appointment of Nepal's Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli. India has been a key development partner to Nepal, providing support and solidarity in its developmental process. In fact, in its Union Budget for 2024-25, India has allocated Rs 700 crore as aid to Nepal, a significant increase from the previous year.
This is Misri's second foreign visit since assuming the role of Foreign Secretary, the first being to neighboring Bhutan in July. In a major milestone for India-Nepal space cooperation, the MEA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Bengaluru-based NewSpace India Limited for the launch of Nepal's Munal satellite. Developed under the guidance of the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology, this satellite will be launched on a gratis basis on NSIL's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.
The MoU was signed by MEA's Joint Secretary Anurag Srivastava and NSIL Director A Arunachalam, further solidifying the strong partnership between India and Nepal. Misri's visit to Nepal is a testament to the ongoing efforts to strengthen the ties between the two nations and promote mutual development and cooperation.
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