Nepali PM KP Sharma Oli to kick off first India visit on April 6

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will undertake his three-day maiden trip to India after assuming office on April 6. Though, his  visit is in line with the tradition of a Nepalese premier visiting India on his first overseas trip, the visit of  Pakistan PM Shahid Khaquan Abbasi to  Kathmandu on March 5 had left everyone guessing about  the first foreign destination of the new Nepali PM.

Abbasi was the first high-level foreign dignitary to visit Nepal after the formation of the new government, led by Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML).  

Prior to the government’s formation in Nepal, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had visited Kathmandu to congratulate Oli on his election victory.

“The upcoming visit will provide an opportunity to the two sides to review the wide-ranging cooperative partnership, and to advance it further for the benefit of the two peoples,” a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement said.

Prime Minister Oli, during his India tour, will be accompanied by his spouse Radhika Shakya and a high-level delegation comprising ministers, MPs, secretaries and other high-ranking officials. Oli will meet President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He will also visit Pantnagar in Uttarakhand and attend a programme organised at Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology.

Why India first

Political sources said Nepal PM Oli has chosen to visit India first due to three reasons. First, to reciprocate External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s visit. Second, to honour the tradition of Nepali PMs choosing India as their first destination for a foreign visit, especially after the strategic blunder of the 2015-16 border blockade. Third, there is eagerness in Delhi to develop relations with the Oli government, consdiering China has been trying to expand its influence in Nepal.