Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen Shah, met Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in Kathmandu on Thursday, marking a significant development in diplomatic engagement between the two neighbours months after the Nepalese leader reportedly declined to meet the same official over protocol considerations.
The meeting came ahead of Shah's expected three-day visit to India beginning November 22, his first bilateral overseas trip since assuming office in March 2026.
Misri met the Nepalese Prime Minister during the concluding day of his two-day official visit to Kathmandu and conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation and identifying possible outcomes for Shah's upcoming visit.
The engagement attracted attention because an earlier visit by Misri to Kathmandu in May had reportedly been postponed after Shah declined to hold a one-on-one meeting with him.
๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ
According to Nepalese media reports, Shah had adopted an informal diplomatic protocol under which he would not hold individual meetings with foreign officials below the rank of foreign minister.
The position reportedly led to the postponement of Misri's planned visit in May, although India did not publicly specify the reason for the change.
Shah had also reportedly declined meetings with senior American officials, including US Assistant Secretary of State Paul Kapur and US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor.
The earlier decisions were interpreted by some observers as an attempt by Nepal's new leadership to establish its own diplomatic conventions.
However, Thursday's meeting with Misri represented a departure from that approach as Kathmandu prepared for its Prime Minister's first official visit to India.
๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ก๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฎ
Shah is expected to begin his three-day official visit to India on November 22, ending his earlier position that he would avoid foreign travel during his first year in office.
The visit would also mark the first bilateral trip to India by a Nepalese Prime Minister in approximately three years.
During his meeting with Misri, Shah reportedly expressed interest in making the upcoming engagement result-oriented.
According to a joint statement issued following the Foreign Secretary's visit, the discussions covered progress in bilateral cooperation and potential initiatives that could be taken forward during the Prime Minister's visit.
The two sides reviewed cooperation in trade, hydropower, energy, infrastructure development, physical connectivity and border management.
They also explored opportunities in emerging sectors, including digital connectivity, artificial intelligence, start-ups and sports.
๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฝ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ
The diplomatic engagement comes against the backdrop of longstanding differences between India and Nepal over the Kalapani-Lipulekh region.
The territorial dispute resurfaced earlier this year following developments concerning the reopening of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route through Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand.
Nepal maintains that the disputed territory belongs to it under the 1816 Sugauli Treaty, while India has rejected Kathmandu's territorial claims as untenable.
Despite the disagreement, diplomatic contacts between the two countries have continued, with both governments seeking to maintain cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
Nepal's geographical position between India and China also makes bilateral engagement important for regional connectivity, economic cooperation and security.
๐ ๐ถ๐๐ฟ๐ถ ๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ธ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ผ๐ฝ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐
During his November 4-5 visit, Misri also met Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal, Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle, Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha, and Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal.
He held delegation-level talks with his Nepalese counterpart Amrit Bahadur Rai, reviewing ongoing projects and discussing ways to strengthen cooperation across multiple sectors.
Misri also interacted with Nepalese parliamentarians, including members of the Nepal-India Parliamentary Friendship Group and the parliamentary committee dealing with international relations and tourism.
Nepal's leadership expressed appreciation for India's humanitarian and technical assistance following the Rasuwa-Bhotekoshi floods.
The two countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and continuing high-level diplomatic exchanges.
๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฝ๐น๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐
Shah's decision to meet Misri and proceed with an official visit to India signals a renewed willingness to engage directly with New Delhi after months of uncertainty over diplomatic protocol.
The Nepalese Prime Minister assumed office following a period of political upheaval that included youth-led protests and a change in the country's political leadership.
India has maintained that its relationship with Nepal rests on longstanding historical, cultural, economic and people-to-people connections.
With Shah's visit approaching, the two governments are expected to focus on practical cooperation, including energy trade, infrastructure, development assistance and connectivity.
The forthcoming meeting between the political leadership of the two countries will provide an opportunity to review bilateral priorities and address outstanding concerns through diplomatic dialogue.