Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal met NSA Ajit Doval in New Delhi to discuss strengthening bilateral ties. On a two-day visit, he will also meet EAM S Jaishankar, marking the first high-level engagement from Nepal's new government.
Khanal Meets NSA Doval
Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal met Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in New Delhi on Friday, the Nepal Embassy, India said. The two officials discussed various issues aimed at further strengthening Nepal-India bilateral relations. In a post on X, Nepal Embassy India wrote, "Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal met with Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor of India, at his office in New Delhi today. The meeting discussed various matters related to further strengthening Nepal-India bilateral relations." Foreign Minister Hon. @shisir met with Hon. Shri Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor of India, at his office in New Delhi today. The meeting discussed various matters related to further strengthening Nepal-India bilateral relations. 🇳🇵🤝🇮🇳 — Nepal Embassy, India (@EONIndia) June 5, 2026
Two-Day Official Visit
On Friday, Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal arrived in India for a two-day official visit. Khanal is scheduled to hold talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday and will depart on Sunday. Announcing his arrival, Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, said in a post on X, "Warm welcome to Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal of Nepal for his first official visit to India. Continuing with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges, the visit will help further strengthen the special partnership between India and Nepal."
MEA on Visit's Agenda and Border Issues
Meanwhile, during his weekly press briefing, Jaiswal was asked if Khanal's agenda included connectivity, trade, and border infrastructure. "The Nepali Foreign Minister has just arrived and will be meeting our External Affairs Minister. We have an expansive agenda with Nepal, ranging from development cooperation and people-to-people ties to trade and investment. We are keen to further strengthen this multifaceted partnership," the MEA spokesperson said.
Jaiswal was also asked if the Foreign Minister would address the recent comments by Nepal's Prime Minister alleging that India has occupied some of their territory. Jaiswal said, "The meeting will cover all relevant bilateral issues. Regarding border matters, we have already clarified our position and have a bilateral mechanism in place to discuss and resolve such issues. We will provide updates on any high-level visits at the appropriate time."
Highest-Level Engagement from New Nepal Govt
The visit by Khanal marks the highest-level official engagement from the government of Prime Minister Balendra Shah since it assumed office in March this year. (ANI)
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