Nepal’s Prime Minister Begins His India Visit By Emphasising Nepal’s Development Requirements

On Wednesday, Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, alias Prachanda, was welcomed in New Delhi by Union Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakashi Lekhi. His four-day visit to India tends to be focused towards bilateral ties between the two nations.

Several agreements will be signed between Nepal and India during Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’s four-day visit, which began on Wednesday. The visiting leader emphasised on business links between the two countries during a public reception hosted by the Embassy of Nepal. He stated that he would contact major Indian corporations and hold a formal meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Nepal, like many other countries, suffered economically during the global epidemic. However, Nepal’s economic situation has gradually improved since my government has taken charge. Our foreign currency reserves have grown, as have remittances from Nepalese nationals residing overseas. My focus during the visit will be on our exchanges with India in the fields of employment and investment,” Mr. Prachanda stated during his speech.

Mr. Prachanda took office for the third time on December 26, 2022, and has since weathered various political storms. His candidature for power was sponsored by former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli’s CPN-UML party, but the alliance split up in February over differences over the presidential election, and he obtained backing from the Nepali Congress. Mr. Prachanda, a former Maoist guerilla leader, had been cultivating a pro-business image since he came into government.

A sizeable delegation

Meenakshi Lekhi, Minister of State for External Affairs, met Mr. Prachanda at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. The Nepalese prime minister is joined by a big entourage led by Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat and Foreign Minister Narayan Prasad Saud. On Wednesday, he was joined by his daughter Ganga Dahal to all formal engagements. Before the public event, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met with Mr. Prachanda.

Mr. Prachanda indicated to the meeting that “several agreements will be signed during the visit.” According to Nepalese analysts accompanying Mr. Prachanda on his tour, the guest will take the opportunity to emphasise Nepal’s developmental needs.

In this regard, Mr. Saud stated that there was a possibility that the two sides would discuss energy and water projects during the official-level meeting with Indian Prime Minister Modi on Thursday.

It is claimed that several private energy companies in India are interested in establishing hydropower projects in Nepal. India served as the “country partner” during the April Power Summit in Nepal, which witnessed significant participation from Indian enterprises. India has been engaged in pushing numerous significant projects, including the Arun III hydropower project and the Gorakhpur-Budwal 400 kV cross-border line. During the four-day visit, the two sides’ cultural ties may be discussed informally.