PM Modi to visit only Kathmandu during SAARC Summit (Update:Modi)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit only Kathmandu during his three-day visit to attend the SAARC Summit in Nepal, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Sunday.

"During his last visit to Kathmandu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had expressed a desire to visit other places in Nepal, including Janakpur, Lumbini and Muktinath, to highlight, in particular, the strong civilizational links and unparalleled people-to-people contacts between our two countries," said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin.

"There has been widespread interest in Prime Minister's schedule in the upcoming visit to Nepal for the SAARC summit. Due to Prime Minister's unavoidable domestic commitments and pre-scheduled travels within the country, he will travel only to Kathmandu to attend the SAARC Summit," he added.

The Prime Minister, however, looks forward to an early opportunity to visit Janakpur, Lumbini, Muktinath and other places in Nepal.

"Prime Minister Modi deeply values the special relationship between India and Nepal and will always welcome every occasion to visit Nepal and interact with the leadership and the people of Nepal. He looks forward to an early opportunity to visit Janakpur, Lumbini, Muktinath and other places in Nepal," he said.