New Delhi formally says it has invited Nepal’s prime minister to India

India has formally invited Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah for an official visit, according to a spokesperson for India's Ministry of External Affairs. The invitation was initially extended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a congratulatory message shortly after Shah was sworn into office on March 27, and Shah had accepted it.

Despite the acceptance, concrete preparations for the visit have not yet materialized from either the Nepali or Indian sides. Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal confirmed that while the invitation was received and accepted, the specific dates and times remain unfixed. Reports of a Nepali emissary visiting India and holding discussions with officials were met with a lack of information from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal.

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Yes, an invitation has been extended to the prime minister of Nepal to visit India.

Some lawmakers within Nepal have suggested that Prime Minister Shah may delay any foreign visits until he completes his first year in office, prioritizing domestic issues. Nevertheless, high-level exchanges between the two nations continue, with Foreign Minister Khanal having already visited India and a recent visit to Kathmandu by India's Additional Secretary Munu Mahawar to discuss bilateral relations.

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Our Prime Minister Balendra Shah has received the invitation to visit India in the congratulatory message sent by the Indian prime minister. The Prime Minister has also accepted it. But the date and time have not yet been fixed.