Nepal is a priority partner, says Modi after meeting RSP chief

RSP chairman Rabi Lamichhane said the hour-long meeting with Mr Modi was a “great pleasure” and pledged to work for “development diplomacy”. Photo: X/@narendramodi

Nepal’s ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) chairman Rabi Lamichanne met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (3 June 2026), who described the neighboring country as a “priority partner”.

The meeting came a day after Mr Lamichhane called on External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Home Minister Amit Shah and discussed development and security partnerships between the two countries.

The meetings took place even after official sources informed that Nepali Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal is expected to arrive in India this week.

“I am delighted to meet the Chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party of Nepal, Mr. Rabi Lamichhane. I welcome and fully share his desire to work closely together for a shared and prosperous future. Nepal is a priority partner under our Neighborhood First policy and we look forward to working with the new government to take the special and multifaceted relationship between our two countries to the next level.” National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Mr. Jaishankar and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri attended.

Mr Lamichhane said the hour-long meeting with Mr Modi was a “great pleasure” and pledged to work for “development diplomacy”.

“By focusing on shared civilizational bonds, digital corridors and seamless connectivity, we can truly build a partnership defined by progress and mutual trust. RSP looks forward to making these possibilities a reality for the people of Nepal and India – for our shared prosperity,” he said in a social media post.

Mr. Lamichhane was accompanied by his wife Nikita Poudel Lamichhane, Embassy of Nepal chargé d’affaires Surendra Thapa, RSP Joint Secretary General and Member of Parliament (MP) Bipin Acharya, and RSP MP Deepak Bohora.

In a post on social media, the Embassy of Nepal said the meeting was about “digital corridors and connectivity”.

Mr Lamichhane was given a warm welcome at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday and the subsequent top-level meetings took place against the backdrop of the early days of Prime Minister Balen Shah’s government, which took power in March and drew attention for imposing tariffs on imported Indian goods worth more than 100 Nepali rupees. This was followed by the renewal of the Kalapani-Limpiyadhura-Lipulek border dispute, which on Tuesday drew a response from the Ministry of External Affairs denying the role of third parties in Nepal-India border issues. Mr. Lamichhane’s visit is therefore seen as an attempt to keep relations on a smooth track.

Official sources confirmed to The Hindu that Foreign Minister Khanal is scheduled to leave for India this week. Mr Khanal was earlier expected to travel to Delhi to attend a meeting of the International Big Cat Alliance, which was canceled due to the Ebola outbreak in Africa.

On Tuesday (June 2, 2026), Mr Shah congratulated Mr Lamichhane on the RSP’s victory in the Nepal elections and expressed “firm resolve to work together to strengthen the special ties between India and Nepal”.

Mr. Lamichhane’s visit has attracted considerable attention here as he is the first major visitor from Nepal since the formation of a new government led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah, which prioritizes domestic reforms and economic issues.

Mr. Balendra Shah attracted attention soon after assuming command by adopting a general policy of not meeting any visiting diplomats or bureaucrats. It is understood that Foreign Minister Misri’s visit, which was due to take place in May, could not be scheduled as the Nepalese prime minister stood by his position that he would not hold special meetings with visiting diplomats.

Published – 03 Jun 2026 22:38 IST