India and Nepal reaffirm commitment to strengthen bilateral partnership

Misri meets Shah in Kathmandu

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri paid a courtesy call on Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar, Kathmandu, on 5 November 2026, the concluding day of his two-day official visit to Nepal. Misri conveyed greetings from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the two discussed the progress of bilateral cooperation and possible outcomes of Shah's upcoming visit to India.

Misri visited Nepal on 4-5 November at the invitation of his Nepalese counterpart, Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai. On 4 November, the two foreign secretaries held delegation-level talks and reviewed ongoing cooperation across various sectors, discussing ways to further strengthen the mutually beneficial partnership between the two countries.

What was discussed

According to a joint press release issued on 5 November, both sides noted growing engagement in trade and commerce, development partnership, hydropower, physical connectivity, border management, energy and people-to-people ties. Newer areas of cooperation, including start-ups, digital connectivity, artificial intelligence and sports, were also discussed.

Misri also met Nepal's Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal, Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha, and Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal. He also interacted with Nepalese parliamentarians, including members of the India-Nepal Parliamentary Friendship Group and the Parliamentary Committee on International Relations and Tourism.

Shah expressed gratitude for India's swift assistance as a first responder following the Rasuwa-Bhotekoshi floods, including relief materials and the deployment of rescue teams, and appreciated Modi's solidarity and assurance of support during the disaster. Shah also expressed interest in exploring cooperation with India for the development of sports in Nepal. Misri briefed Shah on the successful conclusion of regular meetings of bilateral mechanisms covering energy, water resources, trade and transit, and aviation, and said preparations for operating a railway service between Ayodhya in India and Janakpur in Nepal had been completed, with a trial run conducted on 5 November.

Road to Shah's Delhi visit

The visit comes ahead of Prime Minister Shah's first official visit to India, which NDTV reported as scheduled for 22 November. Misri conveyed Modi's message that preparations for the visit had been expedited to ensure its success. The visit is expected to give the leadership of both countries an opportunity to review bilateral ties, discuss shared priorities and explore new avenues of cooperation.

Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to the overall enhancement of bilateral relations and agreed on the importance of maintaining regular high-level exchanges. The Ministry of External Affairs said Misri's visit continued the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and would help further enhance the comprehensive bilateral partnership.

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