KATHMANDU: President Bidya Devi Bhandari herself will receive her Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee at the Tribhuvan International Airport on Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today.

The state guest then would go to the Sheetal Niwas to hold a bilateral meeting with his Nepali counterpart on the same day, the itinerary published by MoFA informed. Bhandari then would host a state banquet.

Vice-President Nanda Bahadur Pun and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal would meet Mukherjee on the same day.

PM Dahal and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae would also host receptions in honour of the guest.

According to MoFA, Mukherjee will visit the Pashupatinath Temple for a puja and attend a function hosted by the Kathmandu University to honour him with an honorary degree on November 3.

"He will attend a civic reception in Kathmandu to be held in his honour," the statement read, "The Indian President will deliver a speech at a seminar of Niti Anusandhan Pratisthan Nepal and India Foundation."

On the next day, November 4, Mukherjee will visit Janakpur and Pokhara. He will perform a puja at the Janakpur-based Janaki Temple.

He will return to Kathmandu on the same day for return to India.

"This will be the first visit by a President of India to Nepal after a gap of 18 years," MoFA informed, "The then Indian President KR Narayanan had visited Nepal in May 1998."

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