Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal is set to visit New Delhi on an official visit immediately after Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) President Ravi Lamichhane returns from his visit to India. An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed that Minister Khanal is preparing to leave for Delhi on a three-day visit next Saturday at the invitation of Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. 

This will be Khanal's first official foreign visit as Foreign Minister. Earlier, he had participated in the 9th Indian Ocean Conference held in Mauritius. During that, he met his Indian counterpart Jaishankar and some other leaders. In Mauritius, Khanal and Jaishankar discussed the issue of taking Nepal-India relations forward in the changed environment. It was also agreed to discuss the priorities of the new government of Nepal in Kathmandu in detail. 

Jaishankar had proposed to send Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to Kathmandu to hold talks with the new government and understand its priorities. However, Misri's visit was postponed after Prime Minister Balendra Shah refused to meet him citing 'protocol' reasons. Meanwhile, the dispute has flared up after India and China decided to resume the Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage via Nepali territory, Lipulekh. Khanal was invited to Delhi to participate in the first International Tiger Conference after Egypt's Kathmandu visit was postponed. However, the conference scheduled for June 1 (18 Jestha) was postponed due to the outbreak of Ebola in some African countries. 

Foreign Minister Khanal will represent the government in Delhi and hold discussions with his Indian counterpart Jaishankar and others. According to an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a request has been sent to the Indian side to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to sources in Kathmandu and Delhi, Khanal will meet Foreign Minister Jaishankar, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and other high-ranking officials. Speaking to BBC Nepali Service from Delhi, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) MP Deepak Bohra confirmed that Minister Khanal will go to India immediately after President Lamichhane returns. During Khanal's visit, the possibility of high-level visits from both sides as well as Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar's visit to Kathmandu will be discussed. 

Foreign Minister Khanal has already discussed the status of projects being implemented with Indian assistance and Nepal's priorities through discussions with ministers at various stages. During Khanal's visit to Delhi, there will be dialogue on issues ranging from connectivity to resolving border disputes. The two sides are also preparing to discuss issues related to Indian flights at Pancheshwor, East-West Railway, Janakpur-Ayodhya Railway, Pokhara and Bhairahawa International Airports, and trade and transit. Khanal and Jaishankar will discuss the issue of removing the distrust in bilateral relations due to the recent border dispute.