PM Modi keen on visiting Nepal: BJP leader

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is keen on visiting Nepal and strengthening India's ties with the country as part of the new government's initiative to give importance to SAARC nations, a senior BJP leader said today.
"BJP government led by Narendra Modi wants to strengthen ties with the neighbouring countries giving special importance to its relations with the SAARC member states," Vijay Jolly said.
Wrapping up his two-day visit to Nepal, Jolly underlined the need for coordination, dialogue and collaboration as well as the opening up trade avenues among the SAARC states that would lead to prosperity of millions of people living in the region.

Prime Minister Modi has initiated South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) concept from the very first day of assuming power so as to strengthen friendship among the South Asian countries and expand trade relations, Jolly said.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has given continuity to the thought by visiting neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Bangladesh, he said.
Jolly said Swaraj will visit Nepal in two weeks time with a view to further strengthen the ties between the two nations.

Prime Minister Modi is very much interested in visiting Nepal, he said in reply to a question.
"He wants to pray at Lord Pashupatinath as well as meet leaders of Nepal including Prime Minister Sushil Koirala," Jolly said.

The date of the visit may be worked out as soon as Nepalese Prime Minister Sushil Koirala returns home from the US where he had gone for medical treatment.
Jolly, who visited the official residence of the Prime Minister at Baluwatar, extended his best wishes for Koirala's speedy recovery.
Responding to a question on Nepal's conversion from a Hindu state to the secular one, he said, "we are naturally concerned about Nepal's conversion to a secular state," but we are not in a position to give any advice whether Nepal should re-covert into the Hindu state or not.
It is the people of Nepal who should decide whether to remain secular or not, he said.

On a question as to what type of federal structure Nepal should adopt, Jolly said, Nepal's political parties, leadership and the government should decide the matter.
"We want to see that Nepal remains united, there should be brotherhood among all the federal units and all the units should be equally developed," he said.