Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves on a two-day visit to Nepal today. He will be accompanied by a high level delegation. The Prime Minister will hold talks with his Nepalese counterpart Sushil Koirala and address the Constituent Assembly. This will be the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Nepal in 17 years, after IK Gujral had travelled there in June 1997 and underlines Mr Modi's focus on India's neighbourhood.

Ahead of his visit, Mr Modi expressed hope that he will have fruitful discussions with leaders and lawmakers of the Himalayan nation that will take India-Nepal relations to even greater heights. In a statement, he said, the two countries will identify steps to strengthen bilateral cooperation in key sectors, including trade and investment, hydro power, agriculture and agro-processing, environment, tourism, education, culture and sports. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said that the visit is a result of the high priority that India places on its neighbours.