Nepal FM ill, cancels India visit at last moment

Nepal's foreign minister Sujata Koirala, who was to accompany prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal on his India tour, today cancelled her visit at the last moment citing health reasons.

Koirala, the daughter of Nepali Congress president and former premier Girija Prasad Koirala, was suffering from fever, headache and diarrhoea, sources close to her said.

The 54-year-old Foreign Minister was in India only last week to prepare grounds for the visit of Nepal. During her
five-day stay in New Delhi, she had met prime minister Manmohan Singh and her Indian counterpart SM Krishna besides other leaders and officials.

The prime minister today left for New Delhi on a five-day "goodwill" visit leading a 64-member delegation. Several senior ministers, including finance minister Surendra Pandey, energy minister Prakash Sharan Mahat and commerce minister Rajendra Mahato, were accompanying him.

During the high-level bilateral talks in Delhi, issues relating to review of 1950 friendship treaty, border problems, renewal of trade treaty and other issues of mutual interest will come up, officials said.