By IANS,
New Delhi : Amid reports of rising anti-India sentiment stoked by the Maoists, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna goes to Kathmandu Friday on a three-day visit during which India and Nepal are expected to sign five pacts to expand bilateral economic and technical cooperation.
This will be Krishna’s first visit to Nepal after becoming India’s external affairs minister in May last year.
Besides holding discussions with his Nepali counterpart Sujatha Koirala, Krishna will call on President Ram Baran Yadav and Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal.
He will also meet Nepali leaders across the political spectrum, including Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala, Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) chief Prachanda and Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) chairman Jhalanath Khanal.
“The purpose of the visit is to exchange views on strengthening and deepening our bilateral relations with Nepal,” the external affairs ministry said here Thursday while announcing Krishna’s visit.
The two sides are likely to sign five pacts aimed at spurring infrastructure construction in the landlocked Himalayan country, said reliable sources here.
The MoUs will be in areas ranging from the establishment of a Nepal Police Academy, the upgradation of Nepal Stock Exchange to the construction of fast track roads in Terai and rural electrification.
A pact on the establishment of a Scientific and Technical Research Centre at Panauti, Kavre, is also expected to be signed.
Ahead of Krishna’s visit, the opposition Maoist party has launched a campaign along the border against what they claim is “encroachment” of territory by the Indian side. The border issue will figure in the discussions.
Krishna’s visit comes at a time when Beijing’s influence in Kathmandu is said to be growing. A week ago, Krishna had said Nepal should take into account India’s security concerns while pursuing relations with other countries.