Kathmandu, Feb 1: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj Thursday met the Left alliance leader and CPN-UML chairman K P Sharma Oli and held wide ranging discussions on ways to take the special relationship between India and Nepal forward.
Oli, who is likely to be the next Prime Minister, called on Swaraj at Hotel Soaltee Crowne Plaza here this evening. “In her first engagement, EAM @SushmaSwaraj met Mr K P Sharma Oli, Chairman of CPN-UML and congratulated him on his Party’s victory in the recent elections,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Ravish Kumar said.
The two leaders held wide ranging discussions on ways to take the special relationship between India and Nepal forward, Kumar said. “During the meeting, the duo discussed bilateral relationship between the two countries and contemporary political issues of Nepal,” the Kathmandu Post reported. UML General Secretary Ishwor Pokharel, leader Subash Chandra Nembang and Bishnu Paudel among other leaders were present in the meeting.
Oli will host a dinner tonight in honour of Swaraj, who arrived today on a two-day official visit to Nepal. She is the first senior Indian minister to visit Nepal after the conclusion of elections to local bodies, provincial assemblies and federal Parliament. Her visit is being considered significant in the political circles here.
Nepal successfully concluded three phase of provincial, local and parliamentary elections as part of its efforts to implement the new Constitution that was promulgated in September 2015. Nepal’s Left alliance is preparing to form a new government which is expected to be headed by Oli. Oli, through a letter, had congratulated Modi on the 69th Republic Day of India. Earlier, Swaraj was welcomed at the Tribhuvan International Airport by Deputy Finance Minister Udaya Shumsher Rana and Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi.
PTI