Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal meets NSA Ajit Doval in Delhi, discusses bilateral relations
New Delhi, June 6
Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal met Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in New Delhi on Friday, the Nepal Embassy, India said.
The two officials discussed various issues aimed at further strengthening Nepal-India bilateral relations.
In a post on X, Nepal Embassy India wrote, "Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal met with Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor of India, at his office in New Delhi today. The meeting discussed various matters related to further strengthening Nepal-India bilateral relations."
On Friday, Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal arrived in India for a two-day official visit.
Khanal is scheduled to hold talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday and will depart on Sunday.
Announcing his arrival, Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, said in a post on X, "Warm welcome to Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal of Nepal for his first official visit to India. Continuing with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges, the visit will help further strengthen the special partnership between India and Nepal."
Meanwhile, during his weekly press briefing, Jaiswal was asked if Khanal's agenda included connectivity, trade, and border infrastructure.
"The Nepali Foreign Minister has just arrived and will be meeting our External Affairs Minister. We have an expansive agenda with Nepal, ranging from development cooperation and people-to-people ties to trade and investment. We are keen to further strengthen this multifaceted partnership," the MEA spokesperson said.
Jaiswal was also asked if the Foreign Minister would address the recent comments by Nepal's Prime Minister alleging that India has occupied some of their territory.
Jaiswal said, "The meeting will cover all relevant bilateral issues. Regarding border matters, we have already clarified our position and have a bilateral mechanism in place to discuss and resolve such issues. We will provide updates on any high-level visits at the appropriate time."
The visit by Khanal marks the highest-level official engagement from the government of Prime Minister Balendra Shah since it assumed office in March this year.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Seriously though, the Nepali PM's comments about 'occupied territory' are troubling. We've had border mechanisms for years. Why stir up unnecessary controversy when we're trying to build infrastructure together? Some political gamesmanship perhaps.
This is how diplomacy should work - quiet, professional meetings instead of public posturing. NSA Doval is a seasoned negotiator. Bet they had some solid conversations on trade and security cooperation. 🎯
Honestly, I wish our media would report more substance. We keep hearing about 'expansive agenda' and 'all bilateral issues' - give us details! Connectivity projects? Hydropower deals? That's what matters to common people on both sides.
Nepal's PM needs to understand that India has always been supportive - from earthquake relief to development aid. These border allegations don't help anyone. Hope Foreign Minister Khanal conveys this diplomatically. Time to focus on shared prosperity.
Interesting that the NSA meeting happened before the EAM talks. Signals that security concerns are being prioritised. Nepal's internal politics is messy but India must tread carefully - we don't want to push them towards China. ⚖️
Finally some high-level engagement!
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.