Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli today said that Minister for Foreign Affairs, Pradeep Kumar Gyawali would visit India on January 14. 

The PM announced the foreign minister’s visit to India while addressing a mass gathering in Sudurpaschim Province. 

Minister Gyawali is expected to hold bilateral discussions with India on border issues including Gauriphanta border point. 

The relations between Nepal and India were under strain after India took unilateral decision to open a link road to Kailash Mansarowar via Lipulekh. Subsequently, on the other hand, Nepal issued a new political map incorporating Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani.

It has been noted that India’s high-ranking officials including chief of foreign intelligence agency, chief of Indian Army and Foreign Secretary had visited Nepal one at a time recently, while no such visits have been made from Nepal side until now. 

Prime Minister Oli reached Dhangadhi Sub-metropolitan City in Kailali District this morning to address the mass gatherings. He took a flight to Dhangadhi Airport via aircraft of Shree Airlines. 

The security was heightened in Dhangadhi before the PM’s arrival, according to spokesperson at Kailali District Police Office (DPO), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Pratik Bista. 

The PM addressed the province level mass gathering at Khulamanch in Dhangadhi.

It has been learnt that none of the province ministers were present at the airport when the PM landed. 

Meanwhile, the secretariat Sudurpaschim Province Chief Minister Trilochan Bhatta, informed that none of the provincial ministers reached the airport to welcome the PM since they had no official information on latter’s visit to the province. 

It has been learnt that after the division of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP), the faction led by PM Oli has fallen to minority in the province while the faction led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal has majority of support.