India has said that Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s proposed visit to New Delhi will focus on the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, as discussions between the two countries continue over the dates and arrangements for the trip.

“We have extended an invitation to the Prime Minister of Nepal to visit India. The discussions between the two sides are continuing regarding the visit,” Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Tuesday at the ministry’s regular media briefing.

Describing the relationship between the two neighbours as an expansive and special partnership, Jaiswal said all matters of mutual interest would be discussed during Shah’s visit.

“The entire range of bilateral relations that we have with Nepal will be discussed. This is an expansive partnership. This is a very special partnership, and all matters of mutual interest would be discussed,” he said.

The remarks come amid intensified diplomatic engagements between Kathmandu and New Delhi ahead of Shah’s first official bilateral visit to India since taking office in March.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited Kathmandu on November 4-5 at the invitation of his Nepali counterpart, Amrit Bahadur Rai. During the visit, Misri held delegation-level talks with Rai and separate meetings with Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal, Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle and other senior government officials. He also called on Shah and conveyed an invitation from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The two sides discussed possible outcomes and initiatives for the prime ministerial visit, including cooperation in trade, energy, hydropower, connectivity, development partnership and border management.

The visit is expected to take place in the second half of November, with November 22-25 emerging as the likely dates. However, neither government has formally announced the itinerary.

Several substantive issues are expected to feature in talks between Shah and Modi. Nepal is seeking around $2 billion in Indian assistance for reconstruction and rehabilitation following the devastating August 26 floods in the Bhotekoshi-Rasuwa corridor. The proposed assistance is expected to include concessional loans and grants.

Kathmandu is also seeking additional air-entry routes for its international airports, progress on the long-delayed Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project, improvements in trade and transit arrangements, and a resolution to longstanding boundary disputes involving Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Susta.

Energy cooperation, cross-border transmission lines, hydropower development and the implementation of India-funded infrastructure projects in Nepal are also expected to feature in the discussions.

India is Nepal’s largest trading partner and a major development partner. The two countries share an open border and extensive historical, cultural, economic and people-to-people ties. Their partnership spans trade, security, water resources, energy, connectivity and development assistance.

Shah’s visit will provide an opportunity for the two governments to assess the state of bilateral relations under Nepal’s new government and explore ways to deepen cooperation.

Meanwhile, responding to a separate question about the extradition of former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Jaiswal said the matter would be dealt with through legal procedures.

“This is a legal matter, and it will be dealt with accordingly,” he said.

Hasina has been living in India since August 2024, when she fled Bangladesh following the collapse of her government amid mass protests. Dhaka has sought her extradition, making the issue a sensitive one in relations between India and Bangladesh. New Delhi has previously maintained that any extradition request would be dealt with as a legal matter.