Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, who is scheduled to arrive in Delhi on Friday afternoon, will receive a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday.
Setting the right political tone before the visit, the External Affairs Ministry reiterated on Thursday that the five-month-long economic blockade had completely ended.
Mr.Oli will be accompanied by senior members of the Nepal Cabinet, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa, who played a major role in defusing the blockade.
A day before the arrival of Mr.Oli, India on Thursday sent senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy as a special emissary for talks with Mr.Oli and Maoist leader Prachanda.
Speaking to The Hindu , Nepali sources said that Dr.Swamy was accorded high protocol though his visit was regarded as “unofficial”.
A source in Kathmandu said, “Much of the strain of the last few months in India-Nepal ties was due to indirect communication between the leaderships of both sides and India has welcomed Nepali leaders across the board to establish political dialogue with their Indian political counterparts”.
Gujarat visitIn a unique gesture, apparently to convey a personal message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dr.Swamy, who tweeted his photographs from Kathmandu, travelled in a special aircraft belonging to the Gujarat government.
Mr.Oli will also travel to Gujarat on the morning of February 23 where he will participate in events showcasing the recovery efforts of the State government after the 2002 Bhuj earthquake.
