Nepal Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali embarks on three-day India visit

Kathmandu: Nepal's foreign minister Pradeep Gyawali is in Delhi on a three-day visit beginning Thursday to garner political support for the KP Sharma Oli-led caretaker government in Kathmandu.

ET has learnt that after China’s mission to mediate between Oli and Prachanda did not yield result, the Nepalese PM is looking to obtain India’s support for his dispensation.

Gyawali’s visit is the first high-level visit from Kathmandu to Delhi in over a year. The visiting foreign minister’s dialogue with Indian leaders is expected to focus on procurement of Covid-19 vaccines, besides the boundary dispute.


The two sides could agree to activate the foreign secretary-level mechanism established in 2014, ET has learnt. The foreign secretary level mechanism would seek technical support from the Boundary Working Group to address the boundary disputes in Susta and Kalapani.

The Indo-Nepal Boundary Working Group has been working at borders but it had to halt its work in May last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Boundary Working Group has the mandate to construct, restore and repair boundary pillars including the clearance of ‘no man’s land’ and carrying out other technical tasks.

Gyawali is in Delhi less than a month after Olidissolved the lower house of Nepalese parliament. Elections have been announced for April 30 and May 10. The Oli government wants to conduct bilateral business in usual sense of the term.

In a statement announcing Gyawali’s visit on Tuesday, Nepal’s foreign ministry said the joint commission meeting will discuss the gamut of bilateral relations, including “trade, transit, energy, boundary, Covid-19 cooperation, infrastructure, connectivity, investment, agriculture, tourism, culture, among others”.

Gyawali will apprise the Indian leadership of the latest political situation in Nepal after the House dissolution, ET has learnt. During his stay in Delhi, Gyawali is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, defence minister Rajnath Singh, home minister Amit Shah and National Security Adviser AjitDoval, among others.

Besides meeting the top Indian leadership, Gyawali will also address a gathering at the Indian Council of World Affairs on Nepal-India relations, hold talks with Indian diplomats and experts, according to the Nepali embassy in Delhi.

The other faction of the Nepal Communist Party led by Prachanda and Madhav Kumar Nepal has taken to the streets protesting against Oli’s decision to dissolve the House. The Nepali Congress and the JanataSamajbadi Party too have objected to the House dissolution.

With Nepal preferring Indian vaccines over the Chinese vaccines, Gyawali will also push to procure 500,000 vaccines from here.