File photo: Sushma Swaraj
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday said Nepal stands high on the priority list of the new Indian government as she arrived in Kathmandu for a meeting of the Joint Commission, taking place after a gap of 23 years.
"The meeting for which I have come, you will be surprised to know, it is taking place after 23 years. It reflects that for the new government, Nepal stands high on priority list," Ms Swaraj told reporters at the airport soon after her arrival.
She was received at the airport by Nepal's Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi and given a warm welcome.
The Joint Commission meeting will take place tomorrow and will have five clusters - political, security and border issues; economic co-operation and infrastructure; trade and transit; power and water resources; and culture, education and media.
"I have come here with lot of hopes and expectations and I think through the visit, India-Nepal relations will be further strengthened," she said.
She said her visit to Nepal comes within two months of her becoming the External Affairs Minister. "This proves how important Nepal is for India."
Her visit is also expected to prepare the ground for a two-day visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi next month. Mr Modi
will arrive in Kathmandu on August 3 on a two-day official trip, the first bilateral visit by an Indian premier in over 17 years.
In 1997, then Prime Minister I K Gujral had visited Nepal.
The last Indian Prime Minister to visit Nepal was Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2002 for a South Asian Association for Regional Coperation or SAARC summit.
During her stay in Kathmandu, Ms Swaraj will also call on top leadership including Nepalese Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and will hold meetings with leaders across the political spectrum,
including Maoist leader Prachanda.
The Indian delegation for the JCM will comprise officials from various ministries including Power, Water Resources, Commerce, Road Transport, Railways, Human Resources Development, Culture, besides the MEA and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
Even though the meeting of JCM was taking place after a long period, India has 25 bilateral mechanisms with Nepal where both are interacting on a regular basis.
The visit, first by Swaraj after becoming External Affairs Minister, is also likely to push trade ties between the two countries. At present the annual bilateral trade is approximately US Dollar 4.7 billion and India accounts for 47 per cent of foreign direct investment in Nepal.
Ms Swaraj is in Kathmandu on Foreign Minister Mahendra Pandey's invitation.