Kathmandu, Nov. 25
Indian Foreign
Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla is arriving in Kathmandu on Thursday.
Shringla’s Nepal
visit comes as yet another step towards improving the relations between Nepal
and India, that went sour after the latter published a map incorporating Nepali
territory in the Kalapani region of Darchula district in November last year and,
in response, the former published a new map including Nepal's territory in May
this year.
The two-day trip
of the top diplomat is the third in a row from the southern neighbour after the
year-long stalemate -- including the ritualistic visit of the Indian Army Chief
Manoj Mukund Naravane earlier this month.
In October, Indian
intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) Chief Samant Goel paid a
visit to Nepal as a special envoy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Goel's visit was
the outcome of the telephone conversation between Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli
and his Indian counterpart Modi on August 15, the Independency Day of the
southern neighbour.
Although his
visit drew a widespread criticism even from the leaders of the ruling Nepal
Communist Party (NCP), the government said that it was an effort in mending the
ties between the two countries.
The relations
between the two neighbours hit the nadir after India, ignoring diplomatic notes
from Nepal in protest to the map incorporating the Nepali territory and
continuous calls for dialogue, developed and inaugurated a road link to
Lipulek, border with Tibet, in May this year.
Against this
backdrop, the visit of top diplomats like Shringla is expected to further ease
the relations between the two countries.
Reports in the Indian
media have also hinted that there would be informal discussions about the
border issue during the bilateral meetings. However, Nepal will have to wait
for yet another talk to formally discuss its grievances.
Although the
trip is the continuation of the regular exchange of high-level visits between the
two friendly neighbours, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it would
be an important step in fixing the soured relations.
"This is an
effort to resolve the bilateral issues between the two neighbours through
dialogue. We firmly believe in bilateral conversations and this visit will
further develop the environment of dialogue between Nepal and India," said
Dr. Rajan Bhattarai, Foreign Affairs Advisor to Prime Minister Oli.
He stressed the
continuation of such visits and dialogues between the two nations. "This
is a very positive development as it has exhibited readiness of both the
countries for dialogue," he said.
Former
Ambassador Suresh Raj Chalise termed the development 'highly positive'. "It
has shown that India is also equally interested in improving relations through
dialogue," he said.
According to
him, relations between the neighbours like Nepal and India should be dynamic
and they cannot remain without dialogue for long. He said that given the recent
regional and international developments, dialogue was Nepal's wish and India's
need.
Shringla is
paying the official visit to Nepal at the invitation of his Nepali counterpart
Bharat Raj Paudyal.
On November 26,
he will participate in the bilateral foreign-secretary level meeting which will
discuss wide ranging areas of cooperation between the two countries, said the
MoFA. He is scheduled to call on the high-level dignitaries in Nepal on the
same day.
Shringla will also deliver a talk on India's
neighbourhood policy and Nepal-India relations at Soaltee Hotel in Kathmandu on
Friday morning. The programme is being organised by Asian Institute of
Diplomacy and International Affairs.
He will hand over COVID-19-related support to Nepal as well.
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