Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Krishna Bahadur Mahara, arrived in New Delhi for a two-day visit to India. 

 DPM and Foreign Minister Mahara was received at Indira Gandhi International Airport by Deep Kumar Upadhyay, Ambassador of Nepal to India, officials of the Embassy of Nepal and the officials of the Ministry of External Affairs of India. 

DPM and Foreign Minister Mahara is visiting New Delhi amid a border disputes between India and China in the trijuncture of India, Bhutan and China near Nathula Pass. As a protest, China has already suspended the visit of Indian pilgrimage from Nathula to Mansarovar.

Mahara is visiting India after Nepal successfully conducted two rounds of local polls. Indian media reports that the visit comes as there has also been immense pressure from China on the previous Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘ Prachanda’ and present Sher Bahadur Deuba governments to work closely with Beijing in key areas like connectivity, energy, trade, commerce and tourism, among others.

According to Indian media, the previous government had signed a framework agreement on One Belt One Road (OBOR) with Beijing and the present government had committed to implement the agreement and formed three separate high-level mechanisms to execute the initiative.

Recently, a Chinese delegation had pressed Kathmandu to implement the past accords and understandings reached with Beijing, including the OBOR agreement. India had abstained from the nearly 30-country transcontinental connectivity and infrastructure initiative devised by China, saying it violated sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Besides meeting Indian leadership and committing to work with it as the previous Nepali governments, Mahara will also discuss the upcoming India visit of Prime Minister Deuba, possibly by the end of July, his office said.

Deuba has agreed to visit India first as his first bilateral visit after assuming office after Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated and invited him.

According to a statement issued by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, apart from reviewing and assessing India-funded projects, apprising about the latest political developments and laying ground for the visit of PM Deuba, Mahara will seek India’s support for Nepal’s bid for UN Human Rights Council membership.