{"id":28561,"date":"2026-06-01T15:16:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T09:31:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english.kathmandupati.com\/?p=28561"},"modified":"2026-06-01T15:23:36","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T09:38:36","slug":"rsp-chief-rabi-lamichhane-begins-india-visit-amid-focus-on-bilateral-ties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english.kathmandupati.com\/?p=28561","title":{"rendered":"RSP Chief Rabi Lamichhane begins India visit amid focus on bilateral ties"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Kathmandu<\/strong>– <\/strong>Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chairman Rabi Lamichhane is in New Delhi on a five-day visit that is expected to focus on resetting priorities in Nepal-India relations with discussions likely to centre on trade, connectivity, hydropower cooperation and long-standing bilateral concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Invited by India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Lamichhane’s visit comes at a politically significant moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to press releases issued by both the RSP and the BJP, the purpose of the visit is to initiate formal political dialogue between the two parties, exchange organisational experiences and further strengthen Nepal-India relations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Prime Minister Balendra Shah has indicated that his government’s immediate focus will remain on domestic affairs and has ruled out foreign travel for the foreseeable future, the RSP chairman’s trip has emerged as the first major political engagement between India’s leadership and Nepal’s new ruling establishment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On June 2, Lamichhane will hold a meeting with BJP President Nitin Nabin at BJP Headquarters in Delhi and later also hold talks with India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike previous visits by Nepali leaders that were undertaken in official government capacities, Lamichhane is travelling as the head of the ruling party that commands a dominant position in Parliament. The visit is expected to strengthen party-to-party relations between the RSP and the BJP while also opening discussions on key bilateral issues that have remained unresolved despite years of engagement between Kathmandu and New Delhi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Nepali delegation led by Lamichhane will also call on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the heart of the discussions are a number of priorities that Nepal’s new leadership wants to push forward with India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most sensitive issues is a strategically important area that has remained at the centre of the broader border dispute involving Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura. The border issue has once again returned to public attention following recent remarks by Prime Minister Shah although Lamichhane’s visit had been planned before the controversy erupted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apart from the border question, Kathmandu is expected to seek Indian support in operationalising Nepal’s two underutilised international airports in Pokhara and Bhairahawa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Energy cooperation is expected to feature prominently as well. Nepal is likely to seek further Indian investment in hydropower sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connectivity is another area expected to receive attention. Nepal is keen to advance the proposed East-West railway project and improve broader transport links with India as Kathmandu seeks to position itself as a regional transit and energy hub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trade issues are also likely to be high on the agenda. Nepal’s leadership has repeatedly argued that the existing Nepal-India Trade Treaty requires review and renewal to reflect changing economic realities. Many policymakers in Kathmandu believe the current framework no longer adequately serves Nepal’s interests and want greater market access and improved conditions for Nepali exports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The visit assumes additional significance because it comes amid a pause in formal high-level engagement. A planned visit by Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to Kathmandu was postponed earlier this year, leaving questions over when the first official interaction between India’s leadership and Nepal’s new government would take place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Against that backdrop, Lamichhane’s Delhi visit offers both sides an opportunity to establish direct political channels and better understand each other’s priorities. For India, the visit provides an opportunity to engage with a new political force in Nepal and for Nepal’s ruling party, it is a chance to communicate its vision for bilateral relations and seek movement on issues that successive governments have struggled to resolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether the visit delivers tangible outcomes remains to be seen but it is already shaping up as an important early test of how Nepal’s new leadership intends to manage relations with its largest neighbour and whether both sides can inject fresh momentum into a partnership that remains central to Nepal’s economic and strategic future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kathmandu– Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chairman Rabi Lamichhane is in New Delhi on a five-day visit that is expected to focus on resetting priorities in Nepal-India relations with discussions likely to centre on trade, connectivity, hydropower cooperation and long-standing bilateral concerns. 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