Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will visit Kathmandu on November 4 to lay the groundwork for Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s upcoming visit to India, according to sources in Kathmandu and New Delhi.

A day before Misri’s arrival, newly appointed Indian Ambassador to Nepal Sudhakar Dalela is scheduled to arrive in Kathmandu to take up his diplomatic assignment.

If all goes according to plan, Shah will make his first official bilateral visit to New Delhi, most likely on November 22, at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A senior foreign ministry official confirmed Misri’s visit to the Post, saying the two sides would discuss possible agenda items for Shah’s trip to India.

Misri is scheduled to return to New Delhi on November 6 after meeting ministers and government officials. It is not immediately clear whether he will meet Shah.

Although neither side has officially announced the visit, preparations are under way in Kathmandu and New Delhi for Shah’s planned trip to India.

On Wednesday, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, reiterated that Modi had invited Shah to visit India after he took office on March 27.

New Delhi had initially planned to send Misri to Kathmandu in the second week of May to engage with the new government formed by the Rastriya Swatantra Party. However, the proposed visit was postponed, with protocol issues cited as a reason.

During Misri’s upcoming visit, the two sides are expected to discuss potential agenda items and Nepal’s expectations for the prime minister’s trip to India. Several India-funded projects are expected to be inaugurated, while groundbreaking ceremonies for other Indian-funded projects are also being planned. India is also expected to announce new assistance, including economic support for Nepal and aid for reconstruction following the recent Bhotekoshi floods.

The Indian side had earlier informed Nepal that Misri’s visit was being postponed because of his other commitments. Reports at the time said Shah’s refusal to meet the Indian foreign secretary despite repeated requests, as well as a dispute between Nepal and India over the Lipulekh tri-junction, were the main reasons for the delay.

The Shah administration had strongly objected to the decisions by India and China to resume the journeys of Hindu pilgrims to Mount Kailash and Mansarovar in Tibet via the disputed area.

In the last week of April, India had conveyed its intention to send Misri to Kathmandu following an understanding reached between Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal and his Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar, in Mauritius. India had sought confirmation from Nepal for a proposed visit on May 11 and 12.

Meanwhile, Dalela is scheduled to arrive in Kathmandu on November 3 to take up his new diplomatic assignment.

India appointed the senior diplomat as its next ambassador to Nepal, bringing an experienced South Asia specialist to the post as Kathmandu and New Delhi seek to expand cooperation in trade, connectivity, energy and regional affairs.

Dalela, an Indian Foreign Service officer from the 1993 batch who currently serves as a secretary at India’s Ministry of External Affairs, is expected to assume his new role shortly, according to a statement issued by the Indian government on October 16.

He will succeed Naveen Srivastava, who took charge as India’s ambassador to Nepal on June 25, 2022. Srivastava has served in Kathmandu for more than four years, overseeing bilateral engagement in connectivity, cross-border energy cooperation and economic partnership. Both Dalela and Srivastava belong to the same batch of the Indian Foreign Service.

Dalela brings experience in Nepal-Bhutan affairs, work in the Indian prime minister’s office and international trade negotiations. His diplomatic career has also included assignments in Bhutan, Bangladesh, the United States, Israel and other countries.

His previous involvement in Nepal-related affairs at India’s foreign ministry is expected to be relevant to his new role as the two countries seek to strengthen economic ties and address longstanding bilateral issues. Their relationship spans trade, transit, energy cooperation, cross-border connectivity and regional security, alongside complex political and diplomatic concerns.