Foreign Secretary Misri sets stage for Nepal PM’s upcoming India visit

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Thursday (November 5, 2026) met Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah in Kathmandu, with discussions focused on “possible outcomes and initiatives” from the expected upcoming visit of the Himalayan nation’s leader to New Delhi.

Concluding his official engagements in Nepal that spanned Wednesday and Thursday, Mr. Misri also met Nepal Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle and Foreign Minister Sisir Khanal.

“The Foreign Secretary of India highlighted the wide-ranging engagement and overall progress in diverse areas of bilateral cooperation, and discussed possible outcomes and initiatives in the context of the upcoming visit of the Prime Minister of Nepal to India,” stated a joint press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs and Kathmandu’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Mr. Misri held detailed talks with his host, Nepali Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai, on the “mutually beneficial partnership” between India and Nepal.

Mr. Shah had earlier this year highlighted the border dispute with India in the Lipulekh-Kalapai-Limpiyadhura area that is part of India’s Uttarakhand but claimed by Nepal as a sticking point in ties. 

Mr. Shah had sought to involve other countries, such as the United Kingdom and China, in talks on the issue. But India wants the matter to be resolved bilaterally.

The Nepali leaders expressed “gratitude for India’s swift and substantial humanitarian and technical assistance in the aftermath of the Bhotekoshi floods”, the joint press release stated.

Mr. Misri’s discussions with Nepali stakeholders included a “commerce and development partnership, hydropower, physical connectivity, border management, energy and people-to-people ties”, as well as new areas like digital connectivity and AI.

Mr. Misri also met Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Biraj Bhakta Shrestha and Minister for Infrastructure Development Sunil Lamsal. 

Mr. Shah was sworn in as Prime Minister in March this year following the Gen-Z uprising in Nepal in September 2025 that led to the ouster of the previous government.