(Rptng)

\ President to undertake three day State Visit to Nepal\ New Delhi, Oct 28 (PTI) President Pranab Mukherjee will\be the first Head of State from India in 18 years when he\embarks on a 3-day trip to the Himalayan nation on November 2.\ This will be the first visit by an Indian President to\Nepal after it adopted a new, democratic constitution last\year.\ 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.\ During the visit, Mukherjee will be meeting a 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\leaders of Indian-origin Madhesi community and Gurkha soldiers\who had worked in the Indian army.\ 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 by a high-level delegation\comprising 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 yet to be finalised, he\said.\ Besides Kathmandu where the President will hold\diplomatic discussions with the Nepalese Government, he will\be visiting Janakpur, close to the Indian border, with large\Madhesis population where he will be accorded a civic\reception. He will also visit Pokhara where he will interact\with ex-servicemen of Indian army from Gurkha community.\ Mukherjee will be accorded honorary Doctorate by\Kathmandu University during the trip.\ \\"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\RG\