Kathmandu, Sep 3 Nepal's Minister for Foreign Affairs Arzu Rana Deuba on Tuesday expressed optimism that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will soon visit Kathmandu at the invitation of his Nepali counterpart, K.P. Sharma Oli.
Deuba, who recently concluded an official visit to India, revealed that she has formally handed over the invite for a state visit to PM Modi on behalf of Prime Minister Oli.
Speaking at the meeting of the International Relations and Tourism Committee under Nepal's House of Representatives on Tuesday, the Foreign Minister stated that PM Modi has "graciously accepted" the invitation and instructed his team to begin preparations for the visit.
"During my visit to India, I conveyed warm greetings and best wishes from Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and formally handed over the invitation for a state visit. PM Modi graciously accepted it and directed his team to arrange a suitable time for the visit," she said.
Deuba visited India from August 18 to 22 at the invitation of External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar. During her visit, she also called on PM Modi in New Delhi on August 21.
In her conversation with Prime Minister Modi, the Nepal Foreign Minister highlighted the significance of further strengthening the bilateral relationship between the two neighbouring countries.
PM Modi, in turn, congratulated Deuba on her appointment as Nepal's Foreign Minister and expressed appreciation for the ongoing high-level engagements between the two nations.
The PM also praised the participation of Nepal's Prime Minister in the 3rd Voice of Global South Summit hosted by India, which he noted had positively impacted the bilateral relationship.
Meanwhile, Deuba extended her gratitude to India for its 'Neighbourhood First' policy and the various development cooperation initiatives undertaken with Nepal.
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) stated after the meeting that PM Modi had accepted the invitation for a visit to Nepal on mutually convenient dates to be decided through diplomatic channels.
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