Former Nepal PM calls on Modi

Former Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', who is now the Co-Chairman of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP), called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Saturday to discuss bilateral ties.

"The two leaders discussed the progress in India-Nepal relations, as well as other issues of mutual interest," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement.

"The Prime Minister fondly recalled their previous interactions, and thanked Dahal for his valuable contributions in strengthening India-Nepal relations," it stated.

Modi also said that India-Nepal relations have received a boost with frequent high-level interactions.

Modi last visited the Himalayan nation in August to attend the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) regional group's summit.

Earlier in the day, Prachanda met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Following the meeting, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted that the two leaders "exchanged views on advancing bilateral ties between the two countries".

Prachanda arrived here on Thursday on a three-day visit with the aim of improving bilateral relations.

After the merger of the CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist), Prachanda is sharing the post of Chairman with another co-chair and Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli. He aims to become the Prime Minister after Oli completes his tenure.

--IANS

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