Nepal PM aiming to create new history with upcoming India trip

Kathmandu, May 20 (IANS) Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Saturday said he is aiming to create a new history during his upcoming visit to India.

Prachanda, as the Prime Minister is popularly known, is all set to embark on a four-day official visit to India on May 29.

"I am going to India to add new dynamism in our bilateral relations. We are hoping that we will get some new things this time during my India visit," he said.

"This is a good opportunity for both Nepal and India. We will strengthen our bilateral ties as well as explore new avenues in our areas of cooperation. I should not tell much about it at this point of time but I believe that we can create a new history. So with this confidence information, I am going to India," said Prachanda.

As preparations are underway for Prachanda's visit, Nepal's Foreign Minister N.P. Saud has started consultations with former foreign ministers, Ambassadors to India and former foreign secretaries and discussed with them on what should be taken up during the trip.

After concluding his engagements in New Delhi, Prachanda will visit Mumbai before returning home on June 3.

This is his first foreign visit after being elected as Prime Minister on December 25, 2022.

There is a long standing tradition for any Nepalese Prime Minister to first visit India after assuming office

Prachanda however, said that there was no legal compulsion to visit India first.

"We have an open border with India and due to our economic, political ties and people to people relations, our relationship with India is unique. This kind of relationship cannot be found anywhere in the world. That is why this has become a tradition. So all are doing the same by visiting India first. But that is not always happening, whose evidence is my self," he said.

Breaking the tradition, Prachanda instead visited China in 2008 when he was elected the Prime Minister for the first time and participated in the Beijing Olympic.

"When I was the Prime Minister for the first time, I made my first visit to China. But now, I think it is appropriate that I should visit India again, not only because of compulsion or because of tradition, but because of our needs.

"And the preparations for the visit to India are good. But the visit was postponed due to elections in India and our own busy schedule. I am now going after the budget," he added.

The Budget will be presented in the house on May 29.