Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Thursday, 5 November 2026, called on Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah in Kathmandu, conveying greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and laying the diplomatic groundwork for Shah's forthcoming official visit to India. The meeting, confirmed by the Indian Embassy in Nepal, signals a fresh push to strengthen India-Nepal bilateral ties at the highest level.

What Was Discussed

According to the Indian Embassy, the meeting centred on 'the implementation of various bilateral initiatives, and possibilities for further enhancement of India-Nepal cooperation across domains, especially in the context of forthcoming high level visit.' Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said talks covered the full range of Nepal-India relations, including high-level exchanges, connectivity, trade, development cooperation, energy, and people-to-people relations.

Misri's Full Schedule in Kathmandu

Misri arrived in Kathmandu on Wednesday morning for a two-day official visit. Before meeting Prime Minister Shah, he held separate engagements with Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal, Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle, and Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Biraj Bhakta Shrestha. He also conducted delegation-level talks with a Nepali team led by his counterpart, Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai, covering the full breadth of bilateral relations in preparation for Shah's upcoming India trip.

Nepal's Agenda for the High-Level Visit

Nepali officials indicated that Kathmandu is keen to advance discussions on several long-pending issues during Prime Minister Shah's proposed visit to New Delhi later this month. These reportedly include the border dispute, revision of the bilateral trade treaty, and the opening of additional air-entry points for international flights routed through India. The visit is expected to serve as a platform to finalise the agenda and push stalled bilateral deliverables toward resolution.

Context: India-Nepal Relations

This comes amid a period of renewed diplomatic engagement between the two neighbours. The two countries share deep historical, cultural, and economic ties, but have periodically been at odds over border demarcation and trade terms. Misri's preparatory visit follows a pattern where senior Indian diplomatic officials visit Kathmandu before major high-level exchanges to align positions and reduce friction. Notably, this is an early and significant engagement for Prime Minister Shah, who took office earlier this year, underscoring India's interest in maintaining close relations with Nepal under its new leadership.

What to Watch Next

All eyes are now on the specifics of Prime Minister Shah's visit to New Delhi, which is expected later this month. Outcomes on the trade treaty revision and border talks will be closely watched by both diplomatic circles and domestic audiences in Nepal. Progress on energy cooperation — particularly hydropower exports to India — is also likely to feature prominently on the agenda.