Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri meets top leaders during Nepal visit

Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri is on a two-day official visit to Nepal, where he held a series of important meetings with Nepal’s top political leadership.

Misri arrived in Kathmandu on Sunday at the invitation of foreign secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai. Soon after his arrival, he met President Ram Chandra Paudel and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli separately at their respective offices. Later in the evening, he also met Maoist Centre chairman and former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ at his residence in Khumaltar.

According to President Paudel’s press advisor Kiran Pokharel, the President praised India’s progress in social, economic, and technological fields, saying Nepal has already benefited from these achievements and hopes to gain even more in the future. “As a close friend and neighbor, we are happy and encouraged by India’s growth. Nepal has always given high priority to its relations with India, and we appreciate India’s ‘Neighborhood First’ policy,” Paudel said during the courtesy meeting.

Foreign secretary Misri responded by stating that India also places Nepal high on its priority list, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy. He stressed that his visit aims to explore ways to strengthen connectivity and cooperation in the modern era, with the hope of further deepening bilateral ties.

In his meeting with Prime Minister Oli at Singha Durbar, discussions focused on the centuries-old civilizational ties between Nepal and India and ways to strengthen cooperation in various sectors. The Indian embassy in Kathmandu said the talks highlighted the strong partnership between the two nations. Misri also briefed Oli and Paudel on the recent progress in bilateral relations.

Later, in Khumaltar, Misri held talks with Maoist Centre chair Prachanda. The meeting, according to Prachanda’s secretariat, covered mutual interests and bilateral cooperation.

Misri’s visit is also seen as part of preparations for Prime Minister Oli’s upcoming official trip to India at the end of Bhadra. During his stay in Kathmandu, Misri is scheduled to meet other senior political leaders, including former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

On Monday, before returning to India, he is expected to visit the Pashupatinath temple.

Nepal and India share centuries of cultural, social, spiritual, and economic ties. Both sides have repeatedly emphasized that their relationship is based on sovereign equality, mutual trust, and friendly cooperation. Misri’s visit is expected to give further momentum to these relations, especially in connectivity and development partnerships.