Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is likely to embark on a three-day official visit to India from April 6, his maiden foreign trip after taking office last month, Kathmandu Post reports.
According to the report, two top officials at the Indian External Affairs Ministry and the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi told the Post that dates of Nepal Prime Minister Oli’s India visit have been “under active consideration” since he assumed office more than a month ago.
The formal announcement will be made once the Nepali side gives its concurrence to the proposed date—April 6-8, according to a senior official in Kathmandu.
Unlike his last visit to Delhi as prime minister when he received a lukewarm welcome and many in his party even felt he was humiliated, Delhi seems very keen to put the past differences behind and start a “new chapter” in its relationship with Oli and the left alliance, the report says.
Backed by a strong political mandate, Nepal’s new prime minister will enjoy a huge leverage to execute the agreements signed during the visit, officials here stressed.
This will be the first foreign trip of the new prime minister after his current tenure started at Baluwatar after the left alliance secured close to two-thirds votes in the December elections and his government received a whopping three-fourths of support in the confidence vote in the House of Representatives.
Since Nepal does not have its ambassador in New Delhi at present, acting Ambassador Bharat Kumar Regmi has been asked to shorten his leave in Kathmandu and return to New Delhi to focus on the upcoming visit. Sources said Foreign Minister Pradip Gyawali is also likely to visit New Delhi ahead of Oli’s official trip.
