KATHMANDU, JUNE 6 Minister of Foreign Affairs Shisir Khanal, who is currently visiting India, today met Indian Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar and held talks on bilateral issues. Khanal told the Indian delegation led by Indian Minister Jaishankar that Nepal's new government carries a clear and decisive mandate for good governance, economic transformation and result-driven diplomacy. 'We carry no old baggage, only a firm resolve to build a genuinely transformative relationship with our close neighbour and most important partner,' he added. 'As Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi graciously acknowledged that Nepal and India are not only two countries, we are stakeholders of a proud ancient civilisation, we seek to translate this civilisational bond into modern development-oriented partnership,' Khanal said. He said Nepal placed the highest priority on its relationship with India under the new government and the government is ready to engage substantively, purposefully and at the highest possible levels. 'The relationship with India has not just been historical, it has also been one of the most important in times of need, whether it's at the time of disaster or even today during the West Asia crisis.' Khanal extended gratitude to India for helping supply fuel and fertilisers. He further said: 'I look forward to a productive, candid and outcome-oriented discussion today - one that sets the stage for forthcoming high-level visits and marks the beginning of a new chapter in our bilateral relations.' Indian Minister of External Affairs Jaishankar said that there were strong complementarities between the objectives planned by the Nepal government and the initiatives that India had taken in the neighbourhood. Jaishankar said he wanted to very clearly and strongly send a message of collaboration and cooperation between the two countries. He further said: 'We believe that today there is an opportunity to decisively shift the trajectory of India-Nepal relations and to realise the full potential of our ties. I am confident that our deliberations today will help us advance towards this objective. Before concluding, let me reiterate Prime Minister Modi's sentiments regarding India's commitment to working with Nepal for the mutual progress, prosperity and wellbeing of our two countries.' The importance accorded to India-Nepal relationship by both sides has only recently been demonstrated by the 'excellent visit' of Rastriya Swatantra Party Chair Rabi Lamichhane, Jaishankar said, adding, 'I would like to take this opportunity to convey our best wishes for the success of your government.' Speaking at the meeting, Jaishankar said India and Nepal shared a very special relationship - one which is built on a strong foundation of people-to-people ties, cross-border connectivity, and shared cultural and religious traditions. 'It is anchored by shared trust, goodwill and mutual benefit and our bilateral ties have steadily developed in areas like trade, commerce, investment, energy development cooperation, education, disaster response and culture, but today we have an opportunity to also take it forward in many other areas in newer domains like startups, AI, information technology, renewable energy and others,' Jaishankar added. Stating that India and Nepal collaborate closely to maintain security along 'our long uniquely open border,' Jaishankar said India and Nepal had always stood by each other in times of need. He said in the wake of the ongoing crisis in West Asia and the Middle East, India had ensured uninterrupted fuel supplies to Nepal.