Prachanda to visit India in October to attend BRICS meet
KATHMANDU: Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” will participate in the BRICS Summit to be held in India, his second visit to the neighbouring country since assuming office in the first week of August.
New Delhi is hosting the summit of the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa grouping in Goa during October 15-6. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited the heads of state or government of BIMSTEC nations to the summit as observers and for an interaction with BRICS leaders.
Nepal is the current chair of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation).
Prachanda’s foreign relations adviser Rishi Raj Adhikari told Hindustan Times that preparations are underway for the visit. Prachanda will make a stopover in New Delhi and meet senior Indian politicians and officials.
Earlier, Prachanda paid a state visit to India during September 15-18.
During a meeting of the ruling CPN-Maoist Center, Prachanda said he would meet regional leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, while in Goa.
He made the remarks after party leaders questioned him whether Xi would visit Nepal before or after the BRICS Summit.
Media reports have suggested that the Chinese President’s planned visit to Nepal has been postponed. Though both sides had not made any official announcement about the visit, several Chinese delegations that visited Kathmandu had said that Xi was preparing to visit Nepal during the BIRCS Summit.
China has hinted to senior Nepalese officials that since the possibility of a bilateral visit to Kathmandu is slim, it would better for Prachanda to meet Xi on the margins of the BRICS Summit so that preparations for an official visit can be speeded up.
Beijing is reportedly miffed with the government in Kathmandu.