Nepal PM to visit India next week

Nepal's Prime Minister Pushpa Kumar Dahal will visit India next week and hold talks with Narendra Modi to strengthen the historically deep ties between the two countries.

The visit will "further strengthen the age-old, multifaceted, and cordial relations between Nepal and India," Nepal's foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

The trip will be Dahal's first official foreign trip since he was elected prime minister in December 2022.

Dahal, a 68-year-old former Maoist rebel leader who goes by the name Prachanda, meaning "fierce", will also meet other senior Indian officials, including President Droupadi Murmu.

The four-day visit will begin on May 31 and will also include visits to the temple town of Ujjain and Indore.

"The visit continues the tradition of regular high level exchanges between India and Nepal in furtherance of our 'Neighbourhood First' policy, India's foreign ministry said.