India, Nepal discuss ways to take forward bilateral ties, development cooperation

EAM Jaishankar met Khanal to review bilateral ties, including development cooperation, connectivity, trade and transit, energy and people-to-people ties.

Updated on: Jun 7, 2026, 06:21:58 IST

By Rezaul H Laskar

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India and Nepal on Saturday discussed ways to take forward bilateral ties and development cooperation following the change in government in Kathmandu, with visiting Nepalese foreign minister Shisir Khanal calling for a “genuinely transformative relationship” driven by economic transformation and result-driven diplomacy.

EAM S Jaishankar meets Nepal foreign minister Shisir Khanal during a meeting in New Delhi. (@DrSJaishankar/PTI)

Khanal arrived in New Delhi on Friday, days after a visit by Rabi Lamichhane, the head of Nepal’s ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), signalling the desire of the new regime in Kathmandu to take forward ties with India. The RSP scored a sweeping victory in the general election held in March, months after the so-called Gen Z uprising ousted the government of former prime minister KP Sharma Oli.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar met Khanal on Saturday to review bilateral ties, including development cooperation, connectivity, trade and transit, energy and people-to-people ties, and discuss regional and multilateral issues.

Jaishankar said on social media the two sides had a detailed discussion on “our unique partnership” and he reiterated India’s commitment to work with Nepal for mutual progress and prosperity.

Khanal said in televised opening remarks at the meeting that Nepal’s new government had a “clear and decisive mandate for good governance, economic transformation and result-driven diplomacy”. He added, “We carry no old baggage, only a firm resolve to build a genuinely transformative relationship with our close neighbour and most important partner.”

He referred to Lamichhane’s article in Hindustan Times that described India and Nepal as stakeholders of a proud, ancient civilisation, and said Kathmandu places the “highest priority” on its ties with New Delhi.

Jaishankar, in his opening remarks, said India and Nepal share a very special relationship built on a strong foundation of people-to-people ties, cross-border connect and shared cultural and religious traditions. “Today we have an opportunity to take it forward in…newer domains like startups, AI, IT...,” he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More

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