Prime Minister Oli’s official India visit set for September 16, Indian PM Modi’s visit likely this November

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is scheduled to visit India on September 16th. This is according to an official statement released by Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has formally invited his Nepali counterpart for a two-day visit. According to sources at the PMO, this is likely to be Oli’s shortest-ever official visit to India.

The Nepali government delegation will depart for New Delhi on September 16 and return to Kathmandu on September 17. Before the visit, a meeting of the Home Secretary-level Border Working Group (BWG) will be held in Delhi.

During the BIMSTEC Summit held in Bangkok, Thailand, in March, PM Oli and Indian PM Modi could not hold a cordial one-on-one meeting. Reportedly, the issue of the Nepal-India border and Nepal’s disputed map was raised, which is expected to receive high priority at the beginning of Oli’s upcoming visit to Delhi.

Nepal had previously amended its constitution to include the territories of Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh, and Kalapani in its national map, a move that India has expressed dissatisfaction with. This constitutional amendment was led by Oli during his earlier term as Prime Minister, garnering support from all political parties.

Previously, India had not accepted Oli’s invitation for Modi to visit Kathmandu. However, this time, the government side has indicated that Modi may visit Nepal during the third week of November.

It is also being suggested that Modi might not visit Kathmandu directly, but instead travel to a religious, touristic, or commercially significant site in Nepal, where Prime Minister Oli would welcome him.

According to sources, Modi’s visit to Nepal will also be short.