Himal Press 
CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal (File Photo)
KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is making preparations for his upcoming visit to India, where he will engage in political and diplomatic consultations.
He is leaving for India at the invitation of his Prime counterpart Narendra Modi on a four-day official visit on May 31.
According to sources at Baluwatar – the Prime Minister’s official residence, Dahal will engage in political and diplomatic consultations on various matters before the visit. As part of the political consultations, Dahal is holding talks with former prime ministers, leaders of different political parties, and the former foreign minister on Sunday. Likewise, former foreign secretaries, former ambassadors to India, and experts have been called upon for diplomatic consultations later today.
This visit marks Dahal’s first foreign trip since assuming office six months ago. It is regarded as an official visit to India.
The foreign ministries of Nepal and India announced the official schedule of Dahal’s visit to India on Saturday. This will be Dahal’s third visit to India as the Prime Minister. In 20008, during his first term as the Prime Minister, he visited India at the invitation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Even then, it was considered an official visit. Dahal visited India from September 15 to 18, 2016, during his second term as Prime Minister. India designated it as a state visit.
Dahal is scheduled to leave for New Delhi on May 31 on a scheduled flight of Nepal Airlines. He is expected to pay courtesy calls on Indian President Draupadi Murmu and Vice President Jaideep Dhankhad. He is expected to engage in high-level discussions with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, at Hyderabad House the following day. A joint press conference has also be planned after the meeting.
Later in the day, Indian Prime Minister Modi will host a luncheon in honor of Dahal and the Nepali delegation. Dahal is scheduled to visit the industrial cities of Indore and Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh before returning home on June 2.
