Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will visit Nepal for talks ahead of Prime Minister Balendra Shah's likely India trip. The engagement could renew bilateral momentum amid lingering differences over the disputed border.Image used for representational purposes onlyKathmandu,Nov 3, 2026 17:14 ISTIndian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will begin a two-day visit to Nepal on Wednesday, mainly to prepare for a likely visit to India by Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah, news agency Press Trust of India reported.Shah is likely to visit India in the last week of November in his first bilateral trip since assuming office in March, according to Nepal's Foreign Ministry sources quoted by PTI.
The dates have not yet been officially announced.Misri will visit Nepal from November 4 to 5 at the invitation of his Nepali counterpart, Amrit Bahadur Rai, Nepal's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.During the visit, the two foreign secretaries will hold bilateral talks and review the full range of Nepal-India relations. They will also exchange views on matters of mutual interest and discuss ways to strengthen the close and long-standing ties between the two countries, the ministry said.
Misri will also meet senior dignitaries and is likely to call on Prime Minister Shah, an official told PTI.The foreign ministries of Nepal and India are preparing for Shah's proposed visit, sources told PTI. It will be his first visit to a neighbouring country since he took office in March.
Nepal is important to India's strategic interests in the region. Leaders of both countries have often referred to their age-old "Roti Beti" ties.Landlocked Nepal depends heavily on India for the transport of goods and services.
Its access to the sea is through India, and it imports most of its requirements from or through the country.Bilateral ties faced some unease in May after Shah called for the involvement of China and the UK in addressing the long-standing border dispute between India and Nepal.New Delhi rejected any role for third parties in resolving the dispute, saying India and Nepal have an established bilateral mechanism to address all aspects of the border issue.The two countries have a long-standing boundary dispute over Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani. India has consistently maintained that the territories are part of Uttarakhand.Misri's visit will focus on reviewing bilateral ties and preparing for Shah's expected India trip, amid efforts by both countries to strengthen relations and address issues of mutual interest.With PTI Inputs- Ends