Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met Rabi Lamichhane, Chairman of Nepal’s Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), and reaffirmed India’s commitment to deepening its “Neighbourhood First” partnership with Nepal.
During the meeting in New Delhi, Modi said India looks forward to working closely with Nepal’s political leadership to further strengthen the “special and multifaceted” bilateral relationship. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri were present.
In a post on X, the Prime Minister said he welcomed Lamichhane’s intent to build closer ties and emphasized a shared vision for a “prosperous future” between the two countries.
Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also met a delegation led by Lamichhane, congratulating him on his party’s electoral performance and extending India’s best wishes to Nepal’s new political leadership. Both sides reiterated their resolve to enhance bilateral cooperation.
Lamichhane also held separate discussions with External Affairs Minister Jaishankar, where the focus remained on development cooperation and people-to-people linkages.
Following the meeting, Jaishankar described the interaction as “a pleasure,” noting that talks centered on strengthening the India-Nepal development partnership and expanding people-to-people ties, which he said are key to shared growth and prosperity.
In a statement, Lamichhane said the discussions were constructive and focused on enhancing bilateral relations and development collaboration.
The Ministry of External Affairs said such high-level political exchanges reflect the regular and multi-layered engagement between the two neighbouring countries, spanning government, political parties, cultural links and people-to-people connections.
(With inputs from ANI)