Kathmandu, Aug 17 : Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri arrived in Kathmandu on Sunday to strengthen bilateral relations between India and Nepal.

Misri is on a two-day visit to Nepal at the invitation of his counterpart, Amrit Bahadur Rai.

Announcing his arrival, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu posted on X, "Foreign Secretary of India Vikram Misri arrives in Kathmandu for an official visit, which reflects the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between India and Nepal, and reaffirms the commitment to the Neighbourhood First policy."

In a statement issued on Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, "India and Nepal share strong and friendly ties, which have seen concrete progress in recent years in diverse areas of cooperation. India attaches high priority to its relations with Nepal under its Neighbourhood First policy. Foreign Secretary's upcoming visit continues the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and will be an opportunity to further advance our bilateral ties."

According to Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the visit, the two Foreign Secretaries will hold discussions on various aspects of the Nepal-India partnership, with a focus on connectivity, development cooperation, and other matters of mutual interest. Foreign Secretary Misri is also scheduled to call on other high-level dignitaries in Kathmandu.

Earlier this month, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar met a delegation of young political leaders from Nepal in New Delhi as the two sides discussed close cooperation and deep people-to-people ties between both nations.

In a post on X, Jaishankar wrote, "Pleased to interact with a delegation of young political leaders from Nepal, on a visit to India. Discussed our close cooperation and deep people-to-people linkages."

On July 30, Misri held a meeting with a multiparty delegation of Members of Parliament from Nepal and discussed opportunities for expanding the partnership between India and Nepal for mutual benefit.

"Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri interacted with a multiparty delegation of MPs from Nepal today and discussed opportunities for expanding the multifaceted India-Nepal partnership for mutual benefit," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X.

On July 27, the Nepalese Embassy in India welcomed the visiting delegation of MPs, noting that regular exchange of visits by leaders, including MPs, between Nepal and India, will help strengthen bilateral ties.

While sharing the pictures of MPs on X, the Nepal Embassy in India stated, "Glad to welcome the visiting delegation of MPs from Nepal and interact with them at the Embassy of Nepal in India today. Regular exchange of visits by politicians, including MPs, between Nepal and India will help strengthen the two countries' relationship."

/IANS