Nepal PM arrives in India on four-day visit

Nepal's new Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' arrived here on Thursday on a four-day state visit to India.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj received him at the airport, ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Prachanda, elected Prime Minister on August 4, has come to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is accompanied by his wife Sita Dahal.

The couple will stay at the Rashtrapati Bhavan as state guests.

Prachanda is scheduled to meet Modi on Friday. He will also call on President Pranab Mukherjee and several union ministers during the September 15-18 visit.

"I am confident that the visit would not only normalise the relations that experienced some bitterness in the past, but also build a strong foundation for mutual trust," Prachanda said earlier.

During the visit, both sides will discuss more support for reconstruction in the wake of the April 2015 earthquake in Nepal, agreements related to hydroelectricity and a postal highway.

Prachanda is also scheduled to meet Nepal citizens based in India and attend a reception at the Nepalese Embassy in New Delhi.

On Friday, Prachanda is scheduled to meet Union ministers Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Piyush Goyal. On Saturday, he will meet Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

He will also be visiting Himachal Pradesh to see the Nathpa Jhakri hydropower project.

--IANS

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