Lamichhane returning, Khanal heading to India

KATHMANDU, June 5: While Rastriya Swatantra Party chair Rabi Lamichhane is set to return home on Friday after completing a five-day visit to India, Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal will leave for New Delhi the same day for a three-day official trip.

Lamichhane traveled to New Delhi on Monday at the invitation of Nitin Navin of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

According to Nepal's Foreign Ministry, Khanal's visit comes at the invitation of his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar. He is scheduled to return to Nepal on Sunday.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the ministry said Khanal will hold formal bilateral talks with Jaishankar in New Delhi. Discussions will focus on issues of mutual interest between Nepal and India.

The agenda includes trade, investment, connectivity, energy cooperation, and strengthening people-to-people ties between the two countries.

The Foreign Ministry expressed confidence that the visit, part of regular high-level exchanges between the neighbors, would further deepen and strengthen the longstanding diplomatic and multifaceted relationship between Nepal and India.

During his visit, Lamichhane held meetings with several senior Indian leaders, including Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Jaishankar, Ajit Doval, Vikram Misri, and BJP leader Nitin Navin.

On Thursday, Lamichhane visited Ayodhya. He was accompanied by his wife Nikita Poudel, RSP Joint General Secretary Bipin Acharya, Secretariat member Dipak Bohara, and other members of the delegation.