Kathmandu – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended an official invitation to Nepal’s newly appointed Prime Minister Balendra (Balen) Shah to visit India. Although the invitation was sent through a congratulatory message on the very day Shah assumed office on March 28, the Nepali side has indicated that this visit will not be limited to mere formality. This matter was discussed seriously during a sideline meeting between Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal and Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at the 9th Indian Ocean Conference in Mauritius.
Foreign Minister Khanal stated that while Prime Minister Balen Shah has accepted the invitation, the visit will proceed only after both nations complete their technical and political preparations. Nepal aims to shift away from traditional symbolic visits, focusing instead on setting an agenda that yields tangible achievements for projects of national priority. Consequently, both foreign ministers have agreed to activate bilateral mechanisms and address Nepal’s prioritized programs before the high-level visit takes place.
The current plan involves Kathmandu’s political and technical leadership finalizing a clear roadmap and priorities before sharing them with the Indian side. Following the completion of internal preparations, Nepal will request the Indian Foreign Secretary to visit Kathmandu, after which the official date for the Prime Minister’s Delhi trip will be finalized. Both nations now appear intent on moving beyond symbolic gestures to pursue result-oriented cooperation in vital sectors such as water resources, security, trade, and border management.
