Kathmandu: Visiting Foreign Secretary of India, Vikram Misri, paid a courtesy call on President Ramchandra Paudel today at the Office of the President, Shital Niwas. On the occasion, President Paudel stated that Nepal has benefited from the progress of its close neighbor, India, and expressed hope to benefit even more in the future.
According to National News Agency Nepal, President Paudel mentioned his satisfaction with India’s advancements as an emerging global power in socio-economic and technological sectors. He emphasized that Nepal, as a good friend and close neighbor, has gained from India’s progress and hopes to continue benefiting from this relationship. Kiran Pokhrel, the President’s Press Advisor, quoted the President as acknowledging the longstanding social, cultural, religious, spiritual, economic, and people-to-people relations between Nepal and India. These ties, he noted, are based on sovereign equality, friendly cooperation, mutual respect, and trust.
President Paudel reiterated Nepal’s commitment to prioritizing its relations with India and praised India’s ‘Neighborhood First’ policy, which highlights the significance of fostering strong ties with neighboring countries.
In response to President Paudel’s remarks, Indian Foreign Secretary Misri affirmed that Nepal remains a top priority for India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He expressed his eagerness to engage with relevant officials during his two-day official visit to Nepal. The focus of these discussions will be on extending connectivity and enhancing development cooperation between the two countries, in accordance with modern needs and mutual interests.
Foreign Secretary Misri arrived in Kathmandu this morning at the cordial invitation of Nepal’s Foreign Secretary, Amrit Bahadur Rai.