India not first 'port of call' for Nepal's new PM

India is usually the first port of call for prime ministers of Nepal. But newly- elected PM Sushil Koirala will make his first foreign visit to Myanmar instead of the southern neighbour.

Updated on: Feb 23, 2014, 24:26:17 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

India is usually the first port of call for prime ministers of Nepal. But newly- elected PM Sushil Koirala will make his first foreign visit to Myanmar instead of the southern neighbour.

The 74-year-old will lead the Nepali delegation to the third Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation summit to be held at Nay Pyi Taw from March 1 to 4.

"The dates for the visit have not been finalised yet. But the Myanmar trip will be the PM's first foreign trip after assuming office," Koirala's foreign relations advisor Dinesh Bhattarai told HT.

The Nepali PM is slated to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina on the sidelines of the summit. Both Singh and Koirala have already extended invitations to each other to visit their respective countries."There have been invitations from both sides for bilateral visits. But nothing has been decided yet," Bhattarai added.

Koirala's predecessors Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda and Baburam Bhattarai had bucked the trend of visiting New Delhi first. In 2008, the Maoist chairman chose to visit Beijing first to attend closing ceremony of Beijing Olympics and his senior party colleague Bhattarai made his first trip to New York in 2011 to take part in the UN General Assembly.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

Get the latest headlines from US news and global updates from Pakistan, Nepal, UK, Bangladesh, Russia and US Iran war Live, get all the latest headlines in one place on Hindustan Times.