External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has arrived in Kathmandu on a three day visit to Nepal. Addressing the media on her arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport she said the new government has high priority to the friendship with Nepal .

This can be seen with her arrival in Kathmandu after two months of taking over the office of external affairs. She said the meeting she has come to attend is taking place after twenty three years and is coming with high expectations and aspirations . Mrs Swaraj said that she hopes the visit l further stregthen ties and friendship with Nepal.

She is leading the Indian delegation for the 3rd Nepal – India Joint Commission meeting which is meeting tomorrow . This is her first visit to Nepal since assuming the post of the External Affairs minister .

The minister is accompanied by the Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh and senior officials from External and various ministries . Mrs Swaraj is here at the invitation of her Nepali counterpart, Mahendra Bahadur Pandey.

The Joint Commission meeting will dwell on various issues of mutual concern and take up additional confidence building measures to further strengthen ties been Nepal and India.

Earlier , Mr Pandey has said the meeting will aim at maintaining harmonious relations, strengthening bilateral ties and creating a situation where both can trust each . The meeting will pave the way for the two day visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Nepal on August 3 rd .