Indian Foreign Secretary Misri meets PM Shah ahead of proposed India visit

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Prime Minister Balen Shah at Singha Durbar on Thursday as part of preparations for the Nepali prime minister’s proposed official visit to India later this month.

The meeting focused on preparations for Shah’s anticipated visit to New Delhi and various aspects of Nepal-India bilateral relations. Although neither government has formally announced the dates, November 22–25 has emerged as a possible timeframe for the visit.

Misri arrived in Kathmandu on Wednesday for a two-day official visit at the invitation of his Nepali counterpart, Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai. During his stay, he held separate meetings with Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal, Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle, Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha and Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal.

In his meeting with Foreign Minister Khanal, the two sides discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation in energy, aviation, trade, sports and education. Khanal expressed confidence that the longstanding and close relationship between Nepal and India would reach new heights.

The discussions also covered connectivity, trade, development cooperation, people-to-people relations and preparations for Shah’s upcoming India visit. Misri is also expected to formally convey an invitation from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Shah.

Misri's previous visit and diplomatic controversy

Misri's latest visit follows an earlier attempt to arrange his visit to Kathmandu in May 2026, which was postponed at the last moment. He was initially expected to arrive on May 11 for a two-day visit, primarily to meet PM Shah and convey Modi's invitation for an official visit to India. However, the proposed visit was postponed amid reported disagreements over diplomatic protocol and tensions surrounding the Nepal-India border dispute.

Media reports suggested that Shah had been reluctant to meet the visiting Indian foreign secretary despite requests from the Indian side. Questions were also raised over whether the prime minister's preference for limiting foreign engagements during the initial period of his administration contributed to the disagreement.

The postponement coincided with renewed tensions over Lipulekh Pass, following an India-China understanding to facilitate the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage through the disputed route. Nepal objected to the arrangement, maintaining that Lipulekh falls within its territory, a claim rejected by India.

While some observers interpreted the postponement as a sign of strained relations and a potentially tougher approach by Shah's government towards New Delhi, neither government officially confirmed that the cancellation resulted from the prime minister refusing to meet Misri. Nepal's Foreign Ministry also denied that the postponement was connected to the border dispute.

Misri's meeting with Shah during his latest visit is therefore significant, marking a renewed opportunity for direct engagement after the earlier diplomatic uncertainty.

Misri's current trip is his second visit to Nepal since becoming India's foreign secretary in July 2024. His previous visit took place on August 11–12, 2024, when he met senior Nepali leaders and discussed bilateral cooperation and regional issues.

New ambassadors on both sides

The latest visit comes amid ambassadorial changes in both Kathmandu and New Delhi.

India's newly appointed ambassador to Nepal, Sudhakar Dalela, arrived in Kathmandu on November 3 to assume his diplomatic assignment. He succeeds Naveen Srivastava, who served as India's ambassador to Nepal since June 2022.

Dalela is a 1993-batch Indian Foreign Service officer who previously served as Secretary for Economic Relations at India's Ministry of External Affairs and as ambassador to Bhutan. He also has experience handling Nepal-Bhutan relations at India's foreign ministry.

Meanwhile, Nepal has approved Dr Nischal Nath Pandey as its next ambassador to India. His appointment comes at a time when both countries are preparing for renewed high-level engagement and seeking to strengthen bilateral cooperation.