Spokesperson at Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Arjun Bahadur Thapa said Minister Khurshid is arriving in Kathmandu on Tuesday at the invitation of Foreign Minister Madhav Prasad Ghimire. "The visit is talking place to express solidarity of the Indian government to the fresh Constituent Assembly (CA) election scheduled for November 19 in Nepal," he said at a press briefing in the ministry on Friday.[break]
Thapa said Minister Khurshid, who will be accompanied by senior officials from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), will return home Wednesday after holding a series of political meeting.
This will be Khursid´s first visit to Nepal as External Affairs Minister. The then External Affairs Minister S M Krishna had visitied Nepal in April, 2011.
Minister Khurshid is scheduled to hold meeting with his Nepali counterpart Ghimire to discuss entire gamut of bilateralism. "The two ministers will exchange views on the further development of bilateral relations and other issues of mutual interests," said a statement issued by Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.
Thapa said there are no specific agreements to be signed between the two countries this time around. Sources, however, said a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nepal and India on the construction of Nepal Police Training Academy as pledged earlier by India is likely to take place during the visit.
Khurshid´s visit is regarded as very ´significant´ as this comes shortly after the two-day official visit by Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi on June 23. Khurshid is also likely to announce aid including vehicles and other logistics to the Election Commission (EC).
During his stay in Kathmandu, Khurshid will also call on President Dr Ram Baran Yadav and Chairman of Interim Election Council Khil Raj Regmi. Sources said he is also scheduled to hold meetings with top leaders of UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and a few Madhesi leaders.
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