Kathmandu:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today won applause from lawmakers as he began his address to the Parliament in Kathmandu in Nepali language, recalling his previous visit to the country as a pilgrim.
"I have returned to this beautiful country as a friend and I am happy to come here as Prime Minister," said Mr Modi in Nepali language before continuing his speech in Hindi.
Mr Modi recalled that he had visited Nepal as pilgrims long ago.
"Since the day I entered the Prime Minister's office, strengthening relationship with Nepal is one of the top priorities of my government," he said.
"I have come here with the goodwill and love from one and a quarter billion people of India," Mr Modi said at the 601-member Constituent Assembly.
In his televised speech, the Prime Minister remarked that the world is watching the peace process of Nepal where it has set an example by shunning violence and following the path of non-violence.
"You have abandoned Shashtra or weapons and followed Shaastra, the scriptures," the PM said in his 45-minute speech, highlighting the important task of writing the constitution.
"You have abandoned the path of Yuddha or War and followed the path of Buddha," he said.
Mr Modi, the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Nepal in 17 years, also reiterated that Nepal is the country where Buddha, the apostle of peace in the world, was born.
The Prime Minister also devoted a part of his speech to the relations between the two countries.
"Nepal-India relations are as old as the Himalayas and the Ganga. Our relations have not moved forward with mere documents but through the heart of our peoples," observed Mr Modi.
"There is a temple in Varanasi, Kashi, from where I got elected, where Nepalis are the priests and here in Pashupati, you have Indian priests, which signifies close religious ties between the two countries," said Mr Modi.
Mr Modi also confirmed India's support to Nepal's constitution.
"Those involved in writing the constitution should have a heart like that of a Rishi or sage and they should think far ahead," Mr Modi said.
India is for taking Nepal to a new height and writing a democratic, federal and republic constitution as per the wishes of the people of Nepal, he added.
The Prime Minister said that India wants to help Nepal in three ways, through HIT --High Ways, Information Technology and Transmission lines.
India would provide as much electricity as needed by Nepal to get rid of the current load-shedding, he added.
"We have not come here to interfere in your internal matters but we want to help you to develop," remarked Mr Modi.
This is the second time that a foreign leader was addressing the Nepalese Constituent Assembly. Earlier in 1990, the then German Chancellor Helmut Kohl had delivered a keynote speech at the Constituent Assembly.