Jun 04, Kathmandu - Nepal has extended an official invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a visit to the country, according to sources. The invitation was conveyed by Rabi Lamichhane, Chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), during a meeting with Prime Minister Modi yesterday.

Sources from the delegation participating in the meeting revealed that Lamichhane personally invited Modi for a visit to Nepal during their discussion. The Indian Prime Minister expressed his eagerness to visit Nepal and indicated that he would do so soon. 

An official involved in the delegation stated that if Modi is keen on visiting Nepal, an official invitation from the Nepali side would be extended through the Prime Minister. Further discussions regarding the visit are expected to take place after Lamichhane returns to Nepal.

The invitation to Modi was initially extended by senior RSP leader Balendra Shah, who was appointed Prime Minister. The Indian Prime Minister also conveyed his congratulations to Shah via a message sent through the Indian Embassy in Nepal, which included an invitation to visit India as well. Shah had accepted this invitation.

Preparations for the visit were underway on both sides. However, Indian Foreign Ministry Secretary Vikram Misri, who wished to come to Nepal with an official invitation, did not meet with Prime Minister Shah after being told he would not be received, leading to uncertainty about the visit.

Following Shah’s declaration that his government would not undertake any foreign visits for a year, it appears unlikely that Prime Minister Modi will visit Nepal in the near future. Experts suggest that whether Modi will come to Nepal now remains an open question.

It has been a tradition for Nepalese Prime Ministers to make their first foreign visit to India upon assuming office. However, some recent leaders have broken this tradition.

Prime Minister Modi has visited Nepal four times so far. His first visit was in 2014 at the invitation of then-Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, during which he also addressed Members of Parliament. Later that year, he participated in the SAARC Summit held in Nepal, engaging in high-level meetings.

His subsequent visits include a trip to Janakpur in 2018 and a day-long visit to Lumbini in 2022, during which he met with then-Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

As Nepal and India continue to maintain close diplomatic ties, the upcoming visit remains a significant topic of discussion in both countries.