India has suggested a visit by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to Nepal on May 11–12 in preparation for Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s upcoming visit to India. Nepal’s Foreign Ministry and Embassy sources revealed that India has proposed these dates and is awaiting an official response from Kathmandu. Nepali Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai has already extended a formal invitation to Misri following communication from the Indian side.
Nepali Prime Minister Shah has been invited by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit India, a gesture that has been accepted. Nepal’s Foreign Minister Sishir Khanal mentioned that the visit might take some time as the government needs to prioritize its agenda. There are approximately 40 bilateral mechanisms between the two countries covering various aspects like security, water resources, trade, and agriculture, which require technical preparations.
The new government in Nepal, led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah since March 27, has witnessed a series of high-level diplomatic engagements. Recently, Nepal hosted senior officials from the United States and China, while India is preparing to send its top diplomat to Nepal. The countries are actively engaging in discussions to finalize projects and programs supported by India in alignment with Nepal’s priorities ahead of future high-level visits.
Several Indian-funded projects in Nepal are currently in progress with economic and technical assistance from India. In the fiscal year 2024–25, India emerged as Nepal’s largest bilateral donor, disbursing US$107.8 million, as per Nepal’s finance ministry records.
