Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has started his diplomatic engagement in Kathmandu during his two-day visit in the Himalayan capital. Invited by his Nepali counterpart, Amrit Bahadur Rai, Misri began a two-day official visit aimed at reviewing the full spectrum of Nepal-India relations and laying the ground for Nepali Prime Minister Balendra (Balen) Shah’s upcoming India visit.
The visit got off to a substantive start, with Misri paying a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to the ministry, the meeting focused on ways to deepen the multifaceted partnership and reinforce the longstanding bonds of friendship between the two neighbors.
Later in the day, Misri was scheduled to hold delegation-level talks with Foreign Secretary Rai over a working lunch — a format that suggests both sides are keen to combine business with a measure of warmth. The discussions were expected to cover a wide range of issues: Nepal’s proposed economic package with India, preparations for PM Sha’s planned visit to New Delhi, a review of Indian-funded projects in Nepal, and potential new areas of cooperation.
The Indian Foreign Secretary is also set to meet Finance Minister Dr Swarnim Wagle and is scheduled to call on Prime Minister Shah on Thursday before returning to New Delhi. According to a senior foreign ministry official, Misri is expected to convey an invitation from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Shah to visit India—a trip that would be Shah’s first bilateral visit to India since taking office, likely to take place later this month, though neither government has formally announced dates.
In a statement announcing the visit, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said Misri would discuss bilateral, regional, and global issues of mutual interest with Nepali officials. It described relations between the two countries as strong and friendly, noting that cooperation had made significant progress across various sectors.
“Misri’s visit will continue the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and contribute to further strengthening the overall bilateral partnership,” the ministry said.
The visit carries particular significance given the diplomatic turbulence that preceded it. Misri was originally scheduled to travel to Kathmandu in May, but the trip was postponed amid reported differences over protocol and renewed tensions over the Lipulekh boundary dispute.
That dispute resurfaced in early May after Nepal objected to India’s plans to facilitate the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage through Lipulekh—a mountain pass near the Nepal-India-China tri-junction that Kathmandu claims as its territory. The disagreement cast a shadow over what had otherwise been a period of steady engagement.
Wednesday’s visit, Misri’s second to Kathmandu since he assumed office as India’s foreign secretary in July 2024, appears designed to move past that episode. The emphasis on continuity—regular high-level exchanges, a packed schedule of meetings, and the anticipated invitation for Prime Minister Shah—suggests both capitals are eager to refocus on the positive agenda.
For Nepal, the visit offers an opportunity to advance its proposed economic package with India and to secure high-level attention ahead of the prime minister’s planned trip to New Delhi. For India, it represents a chance to reaffirm its commitment to a neighbor with whom ties are historically deep but occasionally prickly.
As Misri’s plane departs for New Delhi on November 5, the measure of the visit’s success will lie less in the communiqués issued than in the momentum it generates—momentum that both sides clearly hope will carry through to the upcoming prime ministerial exchange and beyond.
