Visiting India Foreign Sec says ties with Nepal very strong

Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, who reached Kathmandu for his two-day maiden visit, said that India and Nepal have very strong ties. He also stated that the two nations would endeavour to take their relationship forward.

Kathmandu: Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, who arrived in Kathmandu for his maiden visit on Thursday, said India and Nepal have "very strong" ties and they would endeavour to take the relationship between the two nations forward.

Shringla arrived in Nepal on Thursday for the two-day visit. Upon his arrival, he was received by his Nepali counterpart Bharat Paudyal.

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"I wanted to come here earlier also but because of COVID-19 could not do so. I am very happy to be here. We have a very strong relationship. We will endeavour to see how we can take the relationship forward," he said after arriving in the capital of Kathmandu.

During the visit, the Indian foreign secretary will meet his counterpart and other Nepalese dignitaries to discuss the wide-ranging bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

"I want to thank the Nepal government and foreign secretary for the warm hospitalities. We have very good meetings ahead of us. We will look forward to that," he said. Shringla made similar remarks in Nepali.

According to the Indian embassy here, Shringla's visit is in keeping with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and the priority India attaches to its relations with Nepal.

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India has historical and civilisation linkages with Nepal. In recent years, bilateral cooperation has strengthened, with several major infrastructures and cross-border connectivity projects completed with India's assistance. The visit will be an opportunity to further advance our bilateral ties, the embassy said.

ANI