KATHMANDU, Dec 17: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli stated that he would soon visit India after returning from his visit to China, while in Jhapa. During the inauguration ceremony of the View Tower in Damak, Jhapa, he said that his visit to China had brought many positive outcomes for the country and added that he would visit India as well soon. "We are building the country. A bridge will be constructed over Karnali. Many things have been accomplished from the China visit. People may not believe it, but I will soon visit India," said Prime Minister Oli.
The Prime Minister's Office or the Prime Minister's Secretariat has not clarified whether they have started preparations for the PM’s India visit. After returning from his visit to China, reports suggested that preparations for the India visit had begun. However, the Prime Minister's Secretariat has not commented on this. A source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "The Prime Minister's Secretariat has not said anything about the India visit."
Dr Rajan Bhattarai, a standing committee member of the CPN-UML and former chief of the party’s foreign affairs department, stated that no official statement is needed other than the Prime Minister's announcement about his visit to India. "The Prime Minister himself has said that he will visit India in the near future, and there is no other official statement beyond that," Dr Bhattarai said. He also mentioned that they have not yet received a formal invitation for the India visit.
After Prime Minister Oli returned to Nepal from his visit to China, he announced that he would soon visit India. Subsequently, the Prime Minister's Secretariat began preparing for the visit. With both the Prime Minister's Secretariat and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs actively involved, Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba is preparing for her visit to India. A source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that they are planning Prime Minister Oli's India visit around mid-January 2025. However, India has not yet extended an invitation.
Govt gears up preparations for Oli’s India visit
A senior source from the ministry said, "India has not extended an invitation yet. If the timing works out, Nepal will propose the visit in the second week of January."
Foreign Minister Dr Arzu Deuba is preparing to visit India for this purpose. She will reach New Delhi on the evening of December 19. Although Foreign Minister Deuba is expected to meet with her Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar, the meeting has not yet been confirmed. "Foreign Minister Dr Arzu Deuba is scheduled to meet with her Indian counterpart, but her schedule has not been finalized yet," a source at the ministry said. This time, Prime Minister Oli visited China before India.
Sources say that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is coordinating with the Indian Embassy in Nepal and making internal preparations after the Prime Minister’s return from his visit to China. As internal preparations for Prime Minister Oli's visit to India continue, Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, is in New Delhi.
Earlier, after India showed no interest, Prime Minister Oli visited China. Before going to China, he had stated that he would visit India as soon as he returned. Foreign Minister Dr Arzu Deuba flew to the Netherlands the day after returning from her visit to China, on December 7. She was expected to visit India from there, finalize the date for the Prime Minister’s visit, and return. However, as the meeting with Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar remains uncertain, the schedule for the Prime Minister's visit to India has become unclear.
"She will stay in India for three days. She is scheduled to reach New Delhi on December 19, participate in the event on December 20, and return to Nepal on December 21," said Ekraj Pathak, the press advisor to the Foreign Minister. He also stated that he was unaware of the schedule for other meetings.
During Oli's previous tenure as Prime Minister, incidents like the release of the new political map and his statement in Parliament, ‘Satyamev Jayate’, created tensions with India, which has not responded positively. "India was already upset last time. Even after four months, India has not extended an invitation to Prime Minister Oli for a visit," said a diplomat.
India reacted with alarm after the signing of the implementation agreements for BRI projects during the PM’s visit to China. Both India and the United States are concerned about the BRI's implementation in Nepal due to geopolitical and economic competition. China's infrastructure and strategic presence in Nepal put pressure on India, while China-Nepal relations could challenge India's traditional commercial influence and security strategy.
