KATHMANDU, JUNE 3
Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chairperson Rabi Lamichhane, currently on a visit to India, held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Following the meeting, Prime Minister Modi said in a Facebook post that he was pleased to meet Lamichhane. He noted that India looked forward to working closely with Nepal's new leadership to advance a shared vision of prosperity and expressed full support for that aspiration.
Modi reiterated that Nepal remains a priority partner under India's "Neighbourhood First" policy and expressed eagerness to further elevate the special and multidimensional relationship between the two countries through cooperation with Nepal's new government.
''Delighted to meet the Chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party of Nepal Mr. Rabi Lamichhane. I welcome and fully share his desire to work closely together for a shared and prosperous future. Nepal is a priority partner under our Neighbourhood First policy and we look forward to collaborating with the new government to elevate the special and multifaceted relationship between our two countries to greater heights,'' he wrote in his social media.
According to officials, discussions focused on Nepal-India relations, ties between the RSP and India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and other issues of mutual interest.
The meeting was attended by Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and other senior Indian officials. On the Nepali side, Lamichhane was accompanied by his spouse Nikita Poudel, RSP leaders Bipin Acharya and Deepak Bohara, and senior officials from the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi.
Lamichhane left for New Delhi on Monday on a five-day visit at the invitation of BJP leader Nitin Naveen. During the visit, he has also held meetings with Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar and other senior BJP leaders.