Dahal in New Delhi; to meet Modi on Thursday

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has reached New Delhi on Wednesday afternoon on a four-day official visit.

Dahal was received at the Indira Gandhi International Airport by Indian Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture, Meenakshi Lekhi.

Dahal is leading a big delegation that includes five cabinet ministers – Foreign Minister NP Saud; Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet; Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Prakash Jwala; Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat; and Industry, Commerce and Supplies Minister Ramesh Rijal.

He is scheduled to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House on Thursday.

According to foreign minister Saud, Dahal will hold discussions on issues related to bilateral relations and interests with his Indian counterpart. Electricity trade, construction of transmission lines, and bringing Indian investment in Nepal’s energy sector are some of the issues that Dahal will raise in the meeting. Nepal will also seek India’s facilitation for power export to Bangladesh. Likewise, the opening of new air routes is also on the agenda for discussion.

Dahal and Modi will hold a joint press conference after the meeting. Several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) are scheduled to be signed during the visit.

In addition to official engagements, Dahal will play courtesy calls on Indian President, Draupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhad. He will also address an interaction organized jointly organized by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Confederation of Indian Industry.

During his visit, Prime Minister Prachanda will engage with the Nepali community at the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi. He is also and is scheduled to visit Ujjain and Indore in Madhya Pradesh, India.

The Nepali delegation will return home on Saturday.