Narendra Modi to visit Nepal on the occasion of Buddha Purnima on May 16

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set for another foreign visit. But this time it's just across the border to the neighbouring country of Nepal, and only for a few hours. On May 16, the PM will make a brief visit to Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha. According to Nepal Prime Minister's Press advisor Anil Pariyar, PM Modi will visit the Himalayan nation at the invitation of his Nepalese counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba.

During the hour-long trip, Prime Minister Modi will pay a brief visit to Lumbini in western Nepal on the occasion of Buddha Purnima, Lord Buddha's birth anniversary, the official said. It will be Prime Minister Modi's first Nepal visit after his re-election in 2019. Prime Minister Deuba is also scheduled to participate in the programme along with his Indian counterpart. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, is yet to make an official announcement about the visit.

Deuba was in Delhi last month in his first bilateral visit abroad after becoming prime minister for the fifth time in July 2021. During the visit, which was aimed at injecting fresh momentum into bilateral ties, Deuba held talks with Modi on a number of key issues, including the boundary issue.  "A renewed opportunity to deepen the special ties of friendship and cooperation between our two countries," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said on Twitter ahead of the Modi-Deuba talks in April.

Nepal is important for India in the context of its overall strategic interests in the region, and the leaders of the two countries have often noted the age-old "Roti Beti" relationship. The landlocked Himalayan nation shares a border of over 1,850 km with five Indian states - Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Nepal relies heavily on India for the transportation of goods and services.

(With PTI inputs)