Foreign Minister of Nepal, Shishir Khanal, who is currently on a five-day visit to Mauritius, has held a meeting with his Indian counterpart Dr S Jaishankar today.
During the meeting convened on the sidelines of the 9th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) 2026, Foreign Minister of India, Jaishankar, congratulated Khanal on his appointment as the Foreign Minister of Nepal.
Posting an X message following the meeting with Minister Khanal, Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar stated on his social media platform X, "Glad to meet FM Shishir Khanal @shisir of Nepal this afternoon. Congratulated him on his appointment."
In the meeting that lasted for a few minutes, the foreign ministers of Nepal and India discussed various bilateral issues including how the full potential of the partnership could be realized through deeper collaboration in different sectors.
"Discussed realizing the full potential of the partnership by deeper collaboration in different sectors," Jaishankar wrote on his social media account X.
Minister Khanal left for Mauritius on Thursday to address the 9th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) 2026 at the invitation of Minister of External Affairs of India Jaishankar.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Conference, scheduled to be held from 10 to 12 April 2026, is being organized by the India Foundation in association with the Government of Mauritius under the theme "Collective Stewardship for Indian Ocean Governance."
The Foreign Minister will deliver Nepal's national statement articulating Nepal's perspectives on Indian Ocean governance, the mountain-ocean ecological nexus, and the importance of maritime connectivity for economic development, the Foreign Ministry said.
Minister Khanal is also scheduled to hold meetings with counterparts on the margins of the Conference.
Minister Khanal will return to Nepal on April 13, 2026.
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