Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal kicked off his much anticipated India visit from the Indian capital New Delhi on Wednesday afternoon.

Welcoming him at the Indira Gandhi International Airport was Minister of State for External Affairs of India Meenakshi Lekhi. Dahal is on a four-day official visit to India at the invitation of his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi.

“I am happy with the way I was received at the airport and the hospitality I got,” Dahal said on Wednesday evening at a function at Nepali Embassy in New Delhi. “We are hoping for some breakthroughs in trade and transit during my talks with Modi-ji.” The Nepali Embassy in New Delhi organised a welcome ceremony in honour of the prime minister-led visiting Nepali delegation.

The government is working to provide voting rights to Nepali nationals working and living abroad, said Dahal while asking them to return home as the government will guarantee them jobs and livelihood.

“The objective of my visit is to take bilateral ties to a new level,” said Dahal at a jam-packed event inside the Nepali Embassy.

Dahal will be meeting Narendra Modi at 11:00 am IST on Thursday at Hyderabad House where the two prime ministers will hold delegation-level talks followed by the signing of some agreements and memoranda of understanding, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Officials accompanying Prime Minister Dahal said that agreements related to the development of two hydropower projects—Pukhot Karnali and Lower Arun, will be signed during the visit. Moreover, a long-term energy deal between Nepal and India will also be signed.

Allowing the use of Indian territory for energy trade between Nepal and Bangladesh, and construction of a cross-border transmission line are on the list of agreements.

More agreements are expected to be signed, one government secretary said. “We also expect to reach crucial agreements on cross-border energy cooperation, trade and transit.”

Also scheduled are agreements on digital payment between Nepal and India, construction of a dry port and setting up a new check post in the Chandani-Dodhara area in Nepal and inauguration of integrated check posts in Nepalgunj and Biratnagar.

Likewise, the inauguration of a rail yard in Biratnagar adjoining Jogbani, India; construction and expansion of two petroleum pipelines; allowing the broadcast of the Nepal Television in India; energy trading between Nepal and Bangladesh via India; agreement on electricity trade between two state-owned agencies for another 25 years so that both sides do not need to seek approval time and again, are also on the list of agreements.

Also likely are deals on providing chemical fertilisers to Nepal under government-to-government deals, inauguration of one cross border transmission line, ground breaking for another cross border transmission line, and access for the Nepali internet cable to Indian submarine’s cable.

Ahead of the meeting between Dahal and Modi, on Wednesday evening, India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra jointly called on Dahal at Hotel Maurya. Since Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is currently out of the country, he may not meet Dahal.

“The meeting [with Doval and Kwatra] set the tone of the visit and some crucial agendas were discussed,” an aide to the prime minister said, adding, “mostly they discussed ways to address Nepal’s concerns that are likely to come up during the meeting between the two prime ministers on Thursday.”

These include boundary disputes, the report of Eminent Persons’ Group on Nepal-India relations and opening new air routes.

Nepal wants to revive the boundary mechanism in order to settle boundary disputes while seeking four air entry points—Biratnagar, Bhairawaha, Nepalgunj and Dhangadhi via Indian skies so that its two new international airports can operate smoothly, according to Foreign Minister NP Saud.

“Some of our concerns will be raised and discussed while some disputes will take time to resolve,” said Saud.

“A breakthrough in the boundary disputes is unlikely,” said an aide to Prime Minister Dahal. “But on other issues, we are confident India will give our concerns a good hearing.”

During the visit, Dahal will also address the Nepal-India Business Summit in New Delhi to be jointly organised by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the ministry said.

According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, Prime Minister Dahal will also pay courtesy calls on Indian President Droupadi Murmu and Vice-President Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar. “In addition to the official engagements, Prime Minister Dahal will also be visiting Ujjain and Indore as part of his visit,” the release from the Indian side further reads.

This is Prime Minister Dahal’s fourth visit to the southern neighbour in his three stints as the country’s premier.

According to the foreign ministry, Dahal’s entourage includes Foreign Minister Saud; Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat; Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Shakti Basnet; Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Prakash Jwala; Industry, Commerce and Supply Minister Ramesh Rijal; chief secretary, secretaries, and senior government officials.

Dahal is scheduled to return home on June 3. According to Foreign Minister Saud, during the bilateral talks, the entire gamut of bilateral interests and concerns will be discussed including electricity trade, construction of transmission line, opening of integrated check posts.

Similarly, there will be discussions on promotion of Indian investment in Nepal’s energy and hydropower, trade and transport, and airways. During the visit, Nepal has prioritised the issue of long-term energy trade with India. Similarly, Nepal has been urging India to pave the way for electricity trade in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has already agreed to immediately take 50 MW of electricity from Nepal.