Kathmandu, May 8

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli today briefed former prime ministers and former foreign ministers on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming state visit to Nepal from May 11 to 12.

Oli said Arun III hydropower project would be inaugurated and an agreement on agriculture partnership research would be signed during Modi’s visit. “Oli said apart from these no other agreement will be signed,” former PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal told a select group of journalists.

Oli added that the two premiers would jointly inaugurate the Ramayana Circuit and Janakpur-Ayodhya bus service from Janakpur.

When former PMs asked about the Buddhist Circuit that had long been under discussion, Oli said it would be implemented later.

Former prime ministers attending the meeting were Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Sher Bahadur Deuba, Baburam Bhattarai, Lokendra Bahadur Chand, Madhav Kumar Nepal and former chairman of the Council of Ministers Khil Raj Regmi. Former foreign ministers in the meeting included Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Bhekh Bahadur Thapa, Mahendra Bahadur Pandey and Bhim Rawal, according to the PM’s Press Adviser Kundan Aryal.

The Indian PM, who will be flying to Janakpur from Patna on Friday morning on an Indian Air Force helicopter, will be welcomed at the Janakpur airport by Defence Minister Ishwar Pokhrel and Province 2 Chief Minister Mohammed Lal Babu Raut Gaddi.

Modi will then visit Janaki temple, where he will offer prayers for around six minutes. Oli will also visit Janaki temple the same day, from where the two PMs will inaugurate the Ramayaan Circuit and Janakpur-Ayodhya bus service.

Following the event, Oli will return to Kathmandu, while Modi will attend an hour-long civic reception to be organised in his honour at Rangabhoomi Maidan, Baarhabigha. After attending the event, Modi will fly to Kathmandu.

Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali will welcome Modi at Tribhuvan International Airport, after which he will witness the guard of honour at Sainik Manch.

Modi will then meet Vice-president Nanda Bahadur Pun and President Bidhya Devi Bhandari separately.

After resting for a while at Hyatt Hotel, where he will be staying, Modi will go to Dwarika’s Hotel, for official bilateral talks with Oli. Modi will return to Hyatt after dinner at Dwarika’s.  On Saturday, Modi will fly to Muktinath at 6:30am. After returning to Kathmandu, he will meet political party leaders and attend a civic reception to be organised in his honour by Kathmandu Metropolitan City.

He will return to New Delhi the same day.

Last night, the government endorsed the schedule of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Nepal. A Cabinet meeting held at the prime minister’s official residence in Baluwatar took a decision to this effect, according to Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Gokul Prasad Banskota.