India reaches out to Nepal, Sushma Swaraj meets ‘pro-China’ Oli today
Swaraj is likely to meet Oli, besides President Bidhya Devi Bhandari, and other leaders during her 20-hour stay.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj (ANI Twitter)
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will be in Nepal for less than 24 hours on Thursday at a time K P Oli, the man the Indian establishment believes to be pro-China, has emerged as the likely Prime Minister.
Swaraj, accompanied by newly appointed Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, will be on a “political mission”, Nepali authorities believe, at the initiative of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Over the phone, PM Modi had told Oli on January 21 that he was eager to welcome him as Prime Minister at the earliest, adding that he would send Swaraj soon to make preparations. The invitation was extended directly to Oli through the Indian embassy.
Swaraj is likely to meet Oli, besides President Bidhya Devi Bhandari and other leaders during her 20-hour stay.
PM Modi had planned a short trip to Nepal slightly before the election process began here, ostensibly to lay the foundation of the Arun Three Hydro project that India is going to build.
However, with the electoral outcome having gone in favour of the Left Alliance led by Oli, Swaraj’s visit is being seen as an attempt to repair damage in bilateral relations, especially after Oli criticised India at home and at international fora for the “blockade” for five months in 2015.
The last government led by Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who is part of the ruling alliance in Nepal, has formally joined China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Oli, however, also wrote to Modi on the occasion of the Republic Day, saying that he looked forward to learn a lot from India’s experience about implementing the Constitution.
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