NEW DELHI: Nepal Prime Minister K P Oli will begin a state visit to New Delhi on Friday aiming to repair damaged ties, which were hit by a row over the first democratic Constitution of Nepal.
According to officials, Oli will meet his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, and President Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi. Though Oli is not expected to sign any long-term agreements during the visit, he will focus on mending fences between the two neighbours.
Nepal had accused India of imposing an economic blockade in support of a protest against the charter by ethnic minorities, many of whom share close ties with Indians across the border. The four-month blockade was lifted this month.
Ties with India soured following the protests in Nepal’s Tarai-Madhes lowlands after the region’s ethnic Madhesi community said the charter, adopted in September, aimed to weaken its role in the power structure.
A day before leaving for India, Oli told reporters that “we all know that in the last few months there have been many misunderstandings between our two countries. We now want to get our relationship back on track.”
The two countries had faced a rough patch with the Madhesi unrest taking a toll on ties.