Kathmandu. During his two-day visit to Kathmandu, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Thursday evening visited Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari at her official residence.
Shringla also met Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli at the latter’s residence, after earlier meeting with Nepal Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali and his Nepalese counterpart, Bharat Raj Paudyel.
During his visit, Shringla gifted 2,000 vials of Remdesivir injections as part of ongoing support to Nepal, while also providing COVID-related assistance, including essential medicines, ventilators, test kits and PPE materials.
He also said that he had a very productive and useful exchange with Paudyel, wherein several issues regarding bilateral cooperation were discussed.
Shringla arrived in Nepal on Thursday for his maiden visit, and was received by Paudyal.
Upon his arrival, Shringla said India and Nepal have “very strong” ties and their endeavour would be to take the relationship between the two nations forward.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Shringla’s visit is in keeping with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and the priority India attaches to its relations with Nepal.
Sources informed that the Foreign Secretary will meet other dignitaries, and will make a public address, followed by a visit to the site of a development project.
Essentially, this is an initial courtesy and a “getting-to-know-you” visit, which got delayed due to COVID-19, sources said.
Shringla visit will help underline the warmth of the relationship, the sources said, adding that it will also help enhance the level of our engagement, and allow a comprehensive review of our ties after a gap of some time. “We are keen to take forward this momentum, and make progress on the diverse sectors that encompass our bilateral relations,” they asserted.
Shringla’s visit came months at a time the ties between the two countries are under strain after Nepal released a new map showing Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as its territories.
India reacted sharply, calling it a “unilateral act” and cautioning Kathmandu that such “artificial enlargement” of territorial claims will not be acceptable to it. – ANI
