Fourteen months after leading the government, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is all set to embark on an official visit to India on September 16 at the invitation of his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi. But a formal announcement of the visit is yet to be made.

Officials at the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi confirmed to the Post that an invitation from India had been received and concurrence given for the much–awaited visit, which Oli had been seeking for the past one year. Oli’s India visit coincides with Modi’s birthday on September 17.

In a recent interview with journalist Vijay Kumar Panday, Oli stated that he would visit India “soon” and that most probably, Indian Prime Minister Modi could come to Nepal in November.

“… visiting India is not as big a deal as some make it to be, but it is important too. Most likely, I am visiting India… The visit happens after both sides arrange and prepare for it… some prime ministers used to apply for an India visit, but it should be done in an appropriate way. I have also invited Modi ji and if time permits, he will visit Nepal in November,” said Oli in a freewheeling interview with the Dishanirdesh YouTube channel.

Oli also dismissed claims of strained relations with India and said Nepal enjoys good relations with both India and China.

When asked by Pandey about his reportedly troubled relations with India, Oli denied it. “Has India created any difficulties for us lately? What new things has India done to us [Nepal] if they disliked me? The blockade happened before I became prime minister. It was not during my premiership. What else has India done to harm us after I became prime minister?” said Oli.

Earlier, Oli met Indian Prime Minister Modi in New York and Bangkok, but both meetings were reportedly not very fruitful, according to officials in attendance.

Before embarking on the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September last year, Oli had tried to visit India. Although Oli and Modi met on the sidelines of the 79th UN General Assembly, the meeting did not help lay the ground for Oli’s visit to Delhi.

Despite setbacks, Oli kept trying to go to Delhi as he wanted to mend ties with India, which had soured since the boundary dispute flared in November 2019. This followed India’s release of a new map by including Nepal’s Kalapani area within Indian territory.

In December last year, Oli visited China on an official trip, which further irked New Delhi. The signing of the framework agreement on the Belt and Road Initiative in Beijing also increased the distance between Oli and Modi.

In April, Oli got another chance to meet Modi in Bangkok on the sidelines of the sixth summit of BIMSTEC. The meeting was reportedly more cordial than the one in New York, but it did not totally clear India’s suspicion with Oli, an official at the prime minister’s office said. “But we kept engaging with the Indian side through different means and finally secured the bilateral visit.”

“Oli has been invited for a two-day visit, but if he wants to travel outside Delhi, he can consider it,” the official said. Oli, leading a Nepali delegation, will land in Delhi on September 16. The next day, he will hold bilateral talks with Modi, followed by the signing of some agreements and understandings.

Officials from multiple government agencies said September 17 is Modi’s birthday, so they expect some good outcomes from the visit.

Ahead of the visit, some crucial meetings of bilateral mechanisms will be held between Nepal and India. India has also agreed to host the home secretary-level meeting from Tuesday in New Delhi, where key issues like Extradition Treaty and Mutual Legal Assistance, among others, will be discussed.

“The visit is confirmed. That much I can say at the moment,” said Lok Bahadur Chettri, spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “The date will be announced later. The ministry has also started groundwork for the visit.”

“The prime minister’s visit to India was expected. After getting the invitation from his Indian counterpart, we are now finalising it,” spokesperson Chettri added. “However, the dates and topics on the bilateral agenda cannot be disclosed at this stage. Overall, the visit has been confirmed, and we can say that preparations from the ministry’s side are in the final stage.”