Nepal PM Deuba arrives in India on five-day visit

Nepal's Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba arrived in India on Wednesday for a five-day official visit.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj received Prime Minister Deuba at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in the national capital.

This is Deuba's first visit abroad after assuming the office of Prime Minister of Nepal in June 2017.

He is accompanied by spouse Arzu Deuba Rana, council of ministers, parliamentary members and senior high officials of Nepal Government.

During the visit, the Nepal Prime Minister will call on India's newly elected President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President Venkaiah Naidu.

He will also hold talks with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

Apart from official engagements in New Delhi, Prime Minister Deuba will also visit Hyderabad, Tirupati and Bodh Gaya.

He will also be inaugurating the electricity transmission line to Nepal from India.

The two sides are expected to discuss the connectivity and energy cooperation in which the Pancheshwar Hydropower Project is kept at the center, along with the Indian investment in Nepal.

The treaties regarding the extradition and mutual legal assistance, compensation to the Nepali families affected by the construction of Koshi Dam and talks over dams controlled by Indian side which has undaunted the areas in southern plains are also in the table for discussion.

The issue of dams and flood controlling mechanisms constructed and controlled in Nepal by India is enlisted as agendas for the discussions after the country's lawmakers demanded talks over it during the premier's visit to India.

In recent years, India-Nepal partnership has witnessed significant growth in all areas of cooperation. The upcoming visit will provide an opportunity to both the sides for holding wide-ranging discussions on issues of mutual interest, and advancing age old, special ties of friendship between our two countries.