Prime Minister K P Oli invites PM Modi to visit Nepal

Nepal Prime Minister K P Oli has extended an invitation to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for a visit to his country and strengthen bilateral relations through regular exchange of visits. Oli was on a two-day visit to New Delhi along with leaders of other BIMSTEC countries to take part in Modi's swearing-in ceremony on Thursday as the country's prime minister for the second term.

Besides India, BIMSTEC comprises Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan. According to the statement by the Nepal foreign ministry, Modi has accepted the invitation. Oli, who returned to Nepal on Friday, also met Modi during the visit where the two leaders expressed commitment to take bilateral relations to a new height.

"He (Oli) extended best wishes for the successful tenure of Modi," the statement said. "Both prime ministers expressed happiness over the progress made in Nepal-India relations under their respective leadership," it added. The two leaders underlined the importance of regular exchange of high-level visits between the two countries in order to further strengthen bilateral ties and advance cooperation in all possible areas for the mutual benefits of the two countries, the statement said.

During his first term in office, Modi visited Nepal twice in 2014- in August for a bilateral visit and in November for the SAARC Summit.

-PTI