Indian foreign secretary to visit Nepal in April

Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar is scheduled to arrive in Nepal on April 2 on a three-day visit as part of his SAARC yatra.

Nepal's foreign affairs ministry and a spokesperson at the Indian embassy in Kathmandu told IANS that Jaishankar is slated to meet top political leaders, including President Ram Baran Yadav, Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and Foreign Minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandey.

He will also meet his counterpart Shanker Das Bairagi and will hold delegation-level talks that will serve as a follow-up of the two visits of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in July 2014.

India's Ambassador Ranjit Rae on Tuesday held talks with Pandey and discussed matters to be taken up by both sides during Jaishankar's visit.

This is the second phase of Jaishankar's visit to SAARC member countries. He visited Bhutan on March 1, Pakistan on March 3 and Afghanistan on March 4.

The purpose of the visit is divided in two parts, a senior government official said, adding that the first part is the follow-up of the progress made after Modi's two visits to Nepal in August and November last year.

"During the second part, he will meet with top leaders of major political parties where he will have a first-hand opportunity to get an understanding of the latest political situation in Nepal."

"No new agreement or understanding will be signed as it is just a visit which will give him an understanding about the political and bilateral issues," the official added.

(Anil Giri can be contacted at girianil@gmail.com)

--Indo-Asian News Service

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