Ahead of Nepal Prime Minister’s India visit, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived in Kathmandu on Thursday to attend the 15^th BIMSTEC ministerial meeting.

As part of the visit, the Indian minister held bilateral talks with Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

In the discussion, Deuba said both the countries should work together for achieving positive results in various past understandings and agreements, including implementation of various India-funded projects in Nepal.

In response, Sushma Swaraj said, “We are committed to timely completion of old and important projects undertaken by us. India is keen to invest in Nepal, but Nepal should also complete the required procedures for the timely completion of the projects.”

The Indian minister’s recent visit to Nepal is the first such high-level visit from India since Deuba assumed PMO and gains significance in the light of Nepal PM’s upcoming visit to India on August 23, 2017.

According to Foreign Relations Adviser to PM Dinesh Bhattarai, Deuba’s India visit would likely focus on realization of past accords and agreements Nepal had agreed with India.

In his talks with Indian officials, Deuba is also expected to raise issues related to demonetized Indian currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denominations that are concerning Nepalese

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Finally, the Government of Nepal has acted on the rising number of foreign visits by its officials.

The Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has directed the newly-appointed Chief Secretary, Rajendra Kishor Kshetri, to stop the top bureaucrats and other government officials from embarking on foreign trips.

The Prime Minister wanted the Chief Secretary to ensure that secretaries’ and other officials’ foreign visits are limited to discussions on bilateral ties, and not for any other purpose.

“The Prime Minister has expressed his concern and asked me to prohibit foreign visits by secretaries that have to do with irrelevant matters and that do not concern bilateral issues,” Govinda Pariyar quoted Kshetri who instructed the secretaries.

Following PM’s instructions, the Chief Secretary has already circulated the information to all the government secretaries.

According to Pariyar, the government is also under plans to probe the uncalled-for foreign visits of government officials.

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