Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Shisir Khanal, paid an official visit to India from 5 to 7 June 2026 at the invitation of the External Affairs Minister, Dr S. Jaishankar. This marked Minister Khanal’s first visit to India since assuming office on 27 March 2026, under the government of Prime Minister Balendra Shah. The visit was part of the regular exchange of high-level engagements between the two countries, aimed at further consolidating their multifaceted bilateral relations.
Minister Khanal arrived in New Delhi on 5 June 2026. On the same day, he met with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. During a weekly press briefing, MEA Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal outlined the bilateral agenda, stating, “We have an expansive agenda with Nepal, ranging from development cooperation and people-to-people ties to trade and investment. We are keen to further strengthen this multifaceted partnership.”
Formal delegation-level talks between Minister Khanal and EAM Jaishankar took place on the evening of 6 June 2026 in New Delhi. The discussions covered matters of mutual interest, with a view to enhancing cooperation across key areas, including trade, investment, connectivity, energy, and people-to-people ties.
During the meeting, Minister Khanal articulated Nepal’s position on the bilateral relationship, emphasising that the new Nepalese government holds a clear mandate for good governance, economic transformation, and results-driven diplomacy. He stated, “We carry no old baggage; only a firm resolve to build a genuinely transformative relationship with our close neighbour and most important partner.” He further added that Nepal places the highest priority on its relationship with India, affirming, “Under the new government, we are ready to engage substantively, purposefully and at the highest possible levels.”
Three Joint Announcements
The two ministers made the following joint announcements during the meeting:
1.Operationalisation of person-to-person (P2P) cross-border payment transactions under the MoU between NCHL and NPCI, signed in June 2023.
2.Handover of 72 health sector and 12 cultural sector post-earthquake reconstruction projects in Nepal, built with India’s development assistance.
3.Exchange of a Memorandum of Understanding between Kathmandu University School of Engineering’s Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure and Artificial Intelligence and the Digital India Bhashini Division for co-creating a National Digital Infrastructure for a “Voice First” Language Translation Platform.
The handover of the 72 health sector and 12 cultural heritage projects was conducted virtually. Both ministers also welcomed the completion of internal processes for the entry into force of the India–Nepal Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement in criminal matters (MLAA). They noted that this agreement would provide an institutional legal framework to enhance the effectiveness of investigations, prosecutions, and judicial proceedings related to cross-border crimes.
During the visit, Minister Khanal addressed a gathering at the India Foundation in New Delhi, where he outlined Nepal’s foreign policy priorities and engaged with participants on shared concerns, including energy, trade, and connectivity. On 7 June 2026, he visited the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi before departing for Kathmandu.
