Nepal FM Shisir Khanal arrives in New Delhi for three-day India visit
Synopsis
Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal's first official visit to India since taking office comes just days after RSP President Lamichhane met PM Modi — signalling a concerted Kathmandu push to reset and deepen ties with New Delhi, with connectivity and trade topping the agenda.
Key Takeaways
Nepal FM Shisir Khanal arrived in New Delhi on 5 June for a three-day official visit — his first to India since assuming office.
Khanal will hold bilateral talks with External Affairs Minister S.
Jaishankar on Saturday, 6 June .
Key agenda items include trade , investment , connectivity (rail, road, air), energy , and people-to-people ties .
The visit follows RSP President Rabi Lamichhane 's India trip, which began on 1 June and included a meeting with PM Modi .
Khanal had previously met Jaishankar on the sidelines of the Ninth Indian Ocean Conference in Mauritius in April , but this is his first formal bilateral visit.
Khanal is scheduled to return to Kathmandu on 7 June .
Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal arrived in New Delhi on Friday, 5 June, beginning a three-day official visit to India — his first to the country since assuming office earlier this year. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the visit as a continuation of regular high-level diplomatic exchanges between the two neighbouring nations.
MEA Welcome and Agenda
The MEA extended a formal welcome to Khanal, posting on X: 'Warm welcome to Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal of Nepal for his first official visit to India. Continuing with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges, the visit will help further strengthen the special partnership between India and Nepal.'
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, speaking to reporters in New Delhi on Friday afternoon, outlined the breadth of the agenda. 'With Nepal, we have an expansive agenda from development cooperation to people-to-people ties to trade and investment. All these ties together will be discussed when the two Foreign Ministers meet. But on our side, we are keen to further strengthen this multifaceted partnership that we have with Nepal,' Jaiswal said.
Bilateral Talks with Jaishankar on Saturday
Khanal is scheduled to hold formal talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday, 6 June. According to Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the discussions will cover matters of mutual interest across key areas including trade, investment, connectivity, energy, and people-to-people ties. Minister Khanal is expected to return to Kathmandu on 7 June.
Connectivity at the Centre of Discussions
A Nepalese foreign ministry official indicated that improving railway, road, air, and people-to-people connectivity would be a major focus of the bilateral talks. These priorities reportedly align with those highlighted during Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane's visit to India, which commenced on 1 June.
Notably, although Khanal had met EAM Jaishankar and other regional leaders on the sidelines of the Ninth Indian Ocean Conference in Mauritius in April, the New Delhi trip marks his first formal bilateral visit to India in his current capacity.
Context: Lamichhane's Visit Sets the Tone
Khanal's arrival follows closely on the heels of RSP President Lamichhane's India trip. After meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, Lamichhane said Nepal and India could build a partnership defined by progress and mutual trust by focusing on shared civilisational bonds, digital corridors, and seamless connectivity. In a post on X, Lamichhane said the RSP looked forward to translating these possibilities into reality for the people of both nations for their shared prosperity.
This comes amid a period of sustained diplomatic momentum between India and Nepal, with both sides keen to deepen cooperation across economic and infrastructure domains. The outcome of Saturday's ministerial talks is expected to set the tone for bilateral engagement in the months ahead.
Point of View
Khanal on 5 June — suggest Kathmandu is running a coordinated diplomatic offensive toward New Delhi, not routine protocol. The connectivity focus is telling: Nepal's landlocked geography makes India indispensable, and the RSP, still consolidating power at home, has strong incentives to show voters tangible cross-border infrastructure gains. What mainstream coverage underplays is the sequencing: Lamichhane sets the political signal with Modi, Khanal then operationalises it with Jaishankar. Whether this translates into concrete project timelines — or remains another round of goodwill communiqués — will be the real measure of this diplomatic sprint.
NationPress
31 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Nepal FM Shisir Khanal visiting India?
Khanal is in New Delhi for a three-day official visit, his first since taking office, to hold bilateral talks with EAM S. Jaishankar on trade, investment, connectivity, energy, and people-to-people ties. The visit is part of regular high-level diplomatic exchanges between India and Nepal.
When will Khanal meet EAM Jaishankar?
The two foreign ministers are scheduled to hold formal bilateral talks on Saturday, 6 June. Khanal is expected to return to Kathmandu on 7 June.
What are the key topics on the agenda?
According to Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the discussions will cover trade, investment, connectivity — including railway, road, and air links — energy cooperation, and people-to-people ties. Improving cross-border connectivity is reportedly a major focus, in line with priorities set during RSP President Lamichhane's recent India visit.
How does this visit relate to Rabi Lamichhane's India trip?
RSP President Rabi Lamichhane visited India from 1 June and met PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday, emphasising shared civilisational bonds and seamless connectivity. Khanal's visit, beginning just days later, is seen as a follow-through to translate those political signals into concrete diplomatic outcomes.
Has Khanal met Jaishankar before?
Yes — Khanal and Jaishankar met on the sidelines of the Ninth Indian Ocean Conference in Mauritius in April 2025. However, the New Delhi visit is Khanal's first formal bilateral visit to India since he assumed office as Nepal's Foreign Minister.
