President Bidhya Devi Bhandrai, who is all set to leave for India on May 9 on her first official foreign visit, has said her trip to the southern neighbour is a goodwill visit.

Speaking to a select group of journalists at her office on Wednesday, President Bhandari said that no understanding or agreements will be signed during her visit.

“I will invite Indian President Pranab Mukherjee to visit Nepal,” she said, adding that political talks with the Indian leadership are not on the agenda.

President Bhandari is visiting India from May 9 at the invitation of her Indian counterpart. Altogether 22 members will accompany the President during the visit, which is yet to be decided by the Cabinet. The delegates include one minister, Foreign Secretary Shankar Das Bairagi, Chief of Protocol Ramesh Khanal, President Bhandari’s Foreign Affairs Expert Madan Kumar Bhattarai, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, security personal and mediapersons. Out of 22, 10 members will be accommodated at the President Office.   

“The purpose of my visit is to strengthen the good ties between Nepal and India,” she said. President Bhandari on May 9 is scheduled to attend a function in New Delhi and the following day she will meet her Indian counterpart Mukherjee. Several Indian leaders including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a courtesy call on call President Bhandari on May 10.

On May 11, she will leave for Simhastha Kumbh Mela in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.  Shiva Raj Singh Chauhan, chief minister of Madhya Pradesh State of India, has extended a separate invitation to President Bhandari to attend the function. She is also scheduled to deliver a lecture on women empowerment in Ujjain, according to her Foreign Relations Expert Bhattarai.