Colombo (TIP): Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah (Balen Shah) is preparing to visit India in November, nearly eight months after taking office in March.
The three-day visit, expected in the third or fourth week of November, would be his first official bilateral trip abroad, although he travelled to the US in September for the United Nations General Assembly, where he spoke about a broken system’s threat to Nepal, Bangladesh, India and other South Asian nations.
From major infrastructure projects to border disputes and flood reconstruction, Balen Shah’s India visit is expected to have a packed agenda, reported The Kathmandu Post.
India has traditionally been the first foreign destination for Nepal’s prime ministers. However, Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda chose China in 2008, Jhalanath Khanal visited Turkey in 2011 for a multilateral UN meet, and Sher Bahadur Deuba went to the UK in 2021 for the COP26. Oli, who had earlier chosen to visit India after assuming the top office, broke with the India-first tradition in December 2024 by choosing China for his first foreign visit after returning to power. Oli had claimed that India had not invited him for an official visit.
The timing of Balen Shah’s visit is significant, given Shah’s initial reluctance to engage with foreign diplomats, including those from India and China. It also comes after devastating floods in August, when India rushed relief supplies and rescue specialists to Nepal. Although preparations are underway, neither Kathmandu nor New Delhi has officially announced the dates of the visit.
Balen’s reported visit in November follows a high-profile trip to New Delhi by Rabi Lamichhane, president of Nepal’s ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), in June. Lamichhane received a ceremonial welcome at the BJP headquarters and met senior party leaders. The outreach drew attention because of Shah’s reserved approach towards diplomatic engagement. Lamichhane’s welcome was also intended to send a political message to the Nepali prime minister, veteran Nepal journalist Keshav Pradhan told India Today Digital in June.
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