Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal has articulated a strikingly forward-looking vision for bilateral relations with India during his official visit to New Delhi from 5 to 7 June.

Speaking to the media, he emphasised that Nepal seeks to engage with a rising India that has transformed itself into a global economic and technological powerhouse.

He described India’s rapid growth as a historic opportunity for cooperation and shared prosperity, noting that Nepal’s new leadership is determined to anchor ties on development, trade, connectivity, energy and economic transformation.

Khanal underscored that Nepal’s political leadership, particularly under the Rastriya Swatantra Party, is consciously moving away from the traditional lens of geopolitical rivalry. He stated that Nepal refuses to view India through the hypersensitive prism of 20th-century geopolitics, instead choosing to focus on diplomacy and development.

He stressed that the priority of his government is to ensure that commitments made between the two countries are translated into tangible benefits for citizens, bridging the gap between promises on paper and delivery on the ground.

Highlighting his own political mandate, Khanal described himself as representing a new, progressive reality in Nepal, driven by good governance, meritocracy and accountability. He pointed out that his high-level talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on 6 June covered the full spectrum of bilateral relations, including trade, cross-border connectivity, energy partnership, water resource management and people-to-people ties.

He emphasised that both sides were committed to ensuring that the open border acts as a facilitator of growth and connectivity rather than a barrier, and that challenges would be addressed through calm, evidence-based discussions.

Khanal drew attention to the progress made in digital integration, announcing the operation of cross-border payment transactions under the MoU between Nepal Clearing House Limited and India’s National Payments Corporation.

This initiative, he explained, would enable UPI-style seamless digital transactions, empowering entrepreneurs, tourists and citizens in both countries. He also marked the formal handover of 72 health facilities and 12 cultural heritage projects reconstructed with Indian assistance, describing them as symbols of India’s role as a generous development partner.

The Foreign Minister further noted that cooperation in digital public infrastructure and emerging technologies was expanding, with an MoU signed between Kathmandu University’s Centre for DPI and AI and India’s Digital India Mission.

He stressed that the relationship between the two nations was deeply rooted in civilisational and cultural ties, extending far beyond political boundaries. He poetically described India and Nepal as “children of the same rivers, the same mountains, and the same ancient wisdom.”

Khanal expressed gratitude for the warmth and hospitality extended to him and his delegation during the visit, acknowledging the goodwill and spirit of cooperation that characterised his engagements in New Delhi. He also underlined the importance of media in democratic societies, describing it as the custodian of the narrative of such visits.

His remarks reinforced Nepal’s intention to pursue a development-oriented partnership with India, aligning with India’s own ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and reflecting the highest-level engagement since Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s government assumed office in March 2026.

ANI