President to undertake three day State Visit to Nepal

\ New Delhi, Oct 28 (PTI) President Pranab Mukherjee will\be first Head of State from India in 18 years to visit Nepal\on a three-day State Visit starting November 2, first after\democratic constitution was adopted by Nepal last year which\is being seen as \\"special goodwill visit\\".\ Mukherjee is likely to hold discussions on \\"full range of\bilateral, regional and multinational\\" issues with the\political leadership of the Himalayan neighbour ranging from\post-earthquake reconstruction projects, concerns of Madhesi\community among others.\ Among other reasons, political instability in Nepal is\seen as a reason for such a long gap in the State Visit to theeighbour\ During the three day visit, Mukherjee will be meeting\host of political leaders including President Bidhya Devi\Bhandari, Vice President Nanda Kishor Pun and Prime Minister\Pushpa Kamal Dahal besides civil society members including\Madhesi leaders and ex-servicemen of Indian army belonging to\Gurkhas.\ When asked about anti-India sentiments in Nepal, Joint\Secretary (North) Sudhakar Dalela said,\\"We are in a phase of\very intensive engagement at a political level and functional\level. We are trying to work with Government of Nepal in\different areas.\ \\"There have been, in the field of trade or economics,\cases where we have concerns about our people working there\but we are working with Nepal.\\"\ Mukherjee will be accompanied with high-level delegation\of Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre, Members of\Parliament L Ganesan, Jagadambika Pal, R K Singh besides one\more MP whose name is getting finalised, he said.\ Besides Kathmandu where the President will hold\diplomatic discussions with the Nepalese Government, he will\be visiting Janakpur, on the Indian border, considered as hub\for Madhesis where he will be accorded a civic reception and\Pokhara where he will interact with ex-servicemen of Indian\army from Gurkha community.\ Mukherjee will also be accorded honorary Doctorate by\Kathmandu University.\ \\"I assume discussions will cover all range of issues\covering all aspects of bilateral issues, regional issues,\international issues…\ \\"During the high level political exchanges we had\recently, the Government of Nepal has shared with our\leadership its Government\\’s priority and efforts to address\all the Constitutional issues by taking all sections of\society on board,\\" Dalela said on the question of Madhesi\community\\’s concerns in Nepal. PTI ABS\RG\