Pakistani PM arrives in Nepal for 2-day visit

Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi arrived here on Monday for a two-day official visit.

Nepal's Finance Minister Yubraj Khatiwada and Foreign Secretary Shankerdas Bairagi received Abbasi at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) here.

Abbasi landed at the airport on a special aircraft of the Pakistan Army. From the airport, he left for the Hyatt Regency Hotel, where he is staying.

The Pakistani Prime Minister is scheduled to meet his Nepali counterpart and CPN (UML) Chairman K.P. Sharma Oli later in the day when they were expected to discuss the mutual well-being between the two countries and other issues of bilateral concern, according to Nepal's Foreign Affairs Ministry.

A contingent of the Nepal Army will present a guard of honour to the Pakistani leader at Tundikhel.

Oli will be hosting a dinner in honour of the Pakistani Prime Minister. Abbasi will also meet CPN (Maoist Centre) chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal and will call on President Bidya Devi Bhandari at Rastrapati Bhawan on Tuesday before returning to Pakistan.

According to a statement released by Pakistan's Foreign Ministry, Abbasi's visit came in line with his country's pro-active efforts to engage with neighbours.

He is the first high-level official to visit Nepal after the formation of the new government here and is expected to discuss the stalled Saarc process that was postponed after an attack on an Indian Army base in Uri in September 2016.

Pakistan is seeking to host the deferred summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) at the earliest in consultation with Nepal, the current chair of the regional grouping.

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

--IANS

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