Nepal foreign minister Arzu Rana Deuba begins 5-day visit to India

NEW DELHI — Nepal Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba arrived here on Sunday on a five-day visit with an aim to carry out a comprehensive review of the bilateral ties.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Deuba’s visit is a testament to the “unique and close” relationship between the two countries.

“Warm welcome to FM @Arzuranadeuba of Nepal as she arrives in New Delhi on an official visit,” he posted on ‘X’.

“The visit continues the tradition of regular high-level bilateral exchanges and is a testament to the unique & close relationship between the two countries,” Jaiswal said.

Deuba is scheduled to hold wide-ranging talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday.

The Nepalese foreign minister’s visit comes a week after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri travelled to Kathmandu.

Nepal is an important neighbour for India in the context of its overall strategic interests in the region, and the leaders of the two countries have often noted the age-old “Roti Beti” relationship between the two sides.

The country shares a border of over 1,850 km with five Indian states — Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Land-locked Nepal relies heavily on India for the transportation of goods and services.

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