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Sushma to engage new Nepal govt
Context
In a bid to revive ties with Nepal, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will visit Kathmandu from February 1 to 2
Backdrop
- The visit comes weeks after Nepal elected a Leftist coalition, which won the first historic poll under the new Constitution of the country
- The visit by Ms. Swaraj will be the first big diplomatic engagement by the newly elected rulers of Kathmandu.
- Significantly, only last week Prime Minister Narendra Modi had reached out to the elected Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli wherein both the leaders had invited each other for a visit
Expanding partnership
“The visit is in keeping with the tradition of regular high-level political exchanges between India and Nepal, and reflects the expanding bilateral partnership and the importance that the two countries attach to further strengthening it across diverse sectors,” a release from the Ministry of External Affairs said on Monday.
Cold ties
- Ties between Mr. Oli and Mr. Modi had been cold since the former was the Prime Minister during the months-long economic blockade between 2015-16.
- Mr. Oli fought the election through a coalition with former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ though he is yet to be formally sworn in.
