Kathmandu: Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has received an invitation from India for a two-day official visit in September, sources confirmed to ANI. As per officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nepal, and another official from the Office of the Prime Minister, PM Oli has received an invitation for a visit to India from September 16. "This possibly will be the shortest visit of the Nepali Prime Minister to India. He has received the invitation for two days starting from September 16. Preparations for the visit have started upon receiving the invitation," the official from the Foreign Ministry told ANI. Nepali envoy to India, Shankar Prasad Sharma, in an interview with ANI on Saturday, also hinted at the visit, stating that Prime Minister Oli would travel to India "very soon," as both sides work toward finalising agreements in key areas. The ambassador's remarks came two days after Prime Minister Oli confirmed that a visit to India is on the cards. Speaking to ANI, Ambassador Sharma said that while no dates have been finalised, the visit is expected soon. "I think he will come to India very soon," he said. The Prime Minister's Office official, who spoke to ANI on condition of anonymity, also confirmed that preparations have started for his visit to India and are working on the agenda. "There won't be an announcement of new and big agendas. The visit will focus more on strengthening the Indo-Nepal relation and move forward with the ongoing projects in Nepal," the official told ANI. PM Oli, who assumed office in July last year for the fourth time, has yet to make an official visit to India. He chose China for his maiden foreign visit, breaking the traditional practice of visiting India first after taking office. In April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met PM Oli on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok. The two leaders reviewed bilateral ties and expressed satisfaction with the progress made in areas such as energy, connectivity, and people-to-people linkages. Another official from the MoFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Nepal, confirmed that the Indian side has also informed of the possibility of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Nepal in November. "It has been communicated that the Indian Prime Minister will visit Nepal in November. The Indian side hasn't communicated the dates, but they have given the probable month as November for the visit. Like before, his visit might focus on a tour to the religious sites of Nepal," the official told ANI. As per official sources of Nepal, PM Modi's visit to Nepal is expected to be brief and symbolic, reinforcing the long-standing cultural and spiritual ties between the two countries.
