Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid will visit Nepal from July 9-10. During his maiden visit to Nepal as the External Affairs Minister, he is expected to meet his counterpart Madhav Prasad Ghimire, the President of Nepal, Ram Baran Yadav, and the current Prime Minister and head of the interim government, Khil Raj Regmi, among other senior leaders.
Both sides are expected to review bilateral ties and discuss ways to enhance bilateral relations. They are also expected to hold discussions on regional and international issues of mutual interest.
Khurshid’s visit is significant, given that the caretaker government has announced elections to Nepal’s 491-member Constituent Assembly on November 19.
Nepal plunged into a constitutional deadlock after former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai dissolved the Constituent Assembly in May 2012 – as it had failed to deliver a draft for the country’s permanent constitution despite repeated extensions of deadlines.
India and Nepal share close bilateral and trade ties. The India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship (1950) forms the basis of our bilateral relations. India is Nepal’s largest trading partner and accounts for 48% of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into the country.