PM Balen Shah’s India visit to feature new projects, MOUs and foundation stones, says Nepal envoy Sharma

Nepal's Ambassador to India, Dr Shankar Prasad Sharma, has said preparations are underway for Prime Minister Balen Shah's visit to India following his acceptance of an invitation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Before his visits, several other key visits will happen between the 2 sides. The last prime ministerial visit from Nepal to India was in 2023.

"I think, as our foreign minister has said, they are doing the preparation in terms of the several other visits before the Prime Minister's visit to India, plus also setting up the priorities. But I think there are so many things to choose from," he told WION's Sidhant Sibal.

Dr Sharma pointed to substantial progress in multiple sectors over the past 18 months. "There are so many things that we have developed over the last one and a half years... whether it's about the investment or health or Ayush or security relationship", adding, 'so probably you will see in the next high-level visit so many MOUs and the inauguration and laying of the foundation stone for new projects and things like that'

A health MoU between the two countries has already been finalised and could be signed soon, he noted. On traditional medicine, he said India had offered a partnership in Ayurveda. "Most of the people in Ayurveda, they study in India anyway. So that part, the university, part the medicine, part the medical partnership between the two countries is strong."

The remarks come as Nepal's young Prime Minister Balen Shah, who assumed office in late March, accepted Indian PM Modi's invitation to visit India. Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal had earlier confirmed to WION that PM Balen Shah has accepted PM Modi's invite.

At the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi, efforts to strengthen people-to-people and economic links are intensifying. "At the embassy, we are doing so many activities, both in terms of trade, investment and cultural linkage between the two countries, and trying to see how we can take the Nepal-India relation to a new height," Dr Sharma said.

A symbolic initiative underscores the focus on traditional healthcare. On the occasion of the, International Wellness Day, declared by the United Nations on Nepal's proposal and falling on 15 April, the embassy is inaugurated an "Arogya Vatika" or herbal wellness garden.

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Dr Sharma explained: "This is being built on the occasion of the International Wellness Day, which happens to be tomorrow, on the proposal based on Nepal, and then strongly supported by India and other countries... So in that context, what we thought is that, because we have the space at the embassy, and then why don't we start new garden called Vatika, herbal garden here, Arogya Vatika."

He emphasised Nepal's rich biodiversity, particularly in the Himalayan region, which is world-renowned for medicinal plants. "In Nepal, I think we also have a lot of people who are practising Ayurveda... Nepal is so rich, I think, world famous in terms of medicinal plants and herbal plants."

India's scale in research and its more than 28,000 herbal gardens offer opportunities for collaboration, he added. Establishing the garden at the embassy would "have a kind of strong relation between Nepal and India, so that we can also share the tradition and heritage between the two countries."