Nepal foreign minister to visit India on Jan 14, new map, boundary row to be on agenda: PM Oli

Nepal Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali will embark on a visit to India on January 14, caretaker Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli announced, adding that the issue related to Nepal's new map will be on the agenda for discussion.

Addressing upper house of the Nepali Parliament for the second time after the dissolution of the lower house, Oli announced the dates of the minister's visit along with the agendas prepared for discussion which comes after the visit of Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla to the Himalayan Nation.

"After four days, on 14 January 2021, our Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali is scheduled to go on a visit to India. He will talk with officials about the new map which we published including our territories that we missed earlier or the territories included in the map, amongst others. He will hold talks on various issues and would take relation with India towards path of success in coming days," Oli said in his address to the upper house.

Oli said that relations with India have improved further after he assumed office.

"I in a real sense want friendship with India and take it forward for a stronger bond in coming days. I want that friendship to flourish, take it to a new height, which never would be on basis of inequalities. It would rather be based on sovereignty and equality, on the basis of which the relation between the two countries would develop and expand further. That friendship also would spring from deep within the heart," Oli said.

The visit which was planned for December got delayed due to political upheaval in the Himalayan Nation which brought in constitutional crisis as Oli recommended dissolution of parliament.

In November last year, Shringla visited Nepal and conveyed an invitation from External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to Gyawali to visit India for the next round of India-Nepal Joint Commission Meeting.

Nepal released the new map last year which includes Indian territories of Kalap, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura.

New Delhi had reacted sharply, calling it a "unilateral act" and cautioning Kathmandu that such "artificial enlargement" of territorial claims will not be acceptable to it.

( With inputs from ANI )