Sushma holds talks with new Nepal PM
Both Oli and Swaraj agreed to ‘forget the past bitterness’, sources say
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has said to leaders of all political parties of Nepal, including Prime-Minister-in-waiting K.P. Sharma Oli, that India is looking forward to working with the new government in the Himalayan nation, the External Affairs Ministry announced yesterday.
According to a statement issued by the ministry, Swaraj, during the course of her two-day visit to Kathmandu, “congratulated the government and people of Nepal for the successful conduct of three-tier elections in Nepal, which is an important milestone in the democratic transition of Nepal”.
Meetings with leaders
It said she “conveyed to all political leaders of Nepal that the government of India is looking forward to working with the democratically elected government to take forward bilateral ties to newer heights for mutual benefit, and to support the government of Nepal, as per its priorities, in its endeavours for rapid economic growth and development”.
During the course of her visit, Sushma Swaraj met Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, chairman of Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) K.P. Sharma Oli, and chairman of CPNMaoist Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’.
The minister also met chairman of Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal (FSF-N) Upendra Yadav, coordinator of the Presidium Mahanta Thakur, and leaders of the Rashtriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N).
The CPN-UML emerged as the largest party in the Provincial and Federal Assemblies elections, followed by the CPN-Maoist.
According to External Affairs Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, Sushma Swaraj, during the course of a courtesy call yesterday, congratulated President Bhandari on the successful conduct of elections in Nepal.
“Exchange of views on advancing our multi-dimensional relationship took place,” Kumar tweeted.
He said that Sushma Swaraj also congratulated Prime Minister Deuba on the successful conduct of the elections.
“Discussions focused on enhancing our bilateral cooperation to take our age-old and historical partnership forward,” Kumar said .
Indian official