Visiting Foreign Secretary of India Vikram Misri paid a courtesy call on President Ram Chandra Paudel today at the Office of the President, Shital Niwas.

On the occasion, President Paudel stated that Nepal has benefited from the progress of its close neighbor, India, and expressed hope to benefit even more in the future.

"We are pleased with the progress achieved by India, an emerging global power, in the socio-economic and technological sectors. As a good friend and close neighbor of India, Nepal has gained from India's progress and hopes to benefit even more in the future," said Kiran Pokhrel, the President's Press Advisor, quoting the President.

Highlighting the longstanding social, cultural, religious, spiritual, economic, and people-to-people relations between Nepal and India, the President said that these ties are founded on sovereign equality, friendly cooperation, mutual respect, and trust.

President Paudel reiterated that Nepal always accords top priority to its relations with India and applauded India’s ‘Neighborhood First’ policy, which underscores the importance it has placed on relations with neighboring countries.

In response, Indian Foreign Secretary Misri affirmed that Nepal remains among India’s top priorities under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He added that during his two-day official visit to Nepal, he looks forward to engaging with relevant officials to discuss extending connectivity and enhancing development cooperation between the two countries, in line with the needs of the modern era and mutual interests.

Foreign Secretary Misri arrived in Kathmandu this morning at the cordial invitation of Nepal’s Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai.