Indian, Nepali presidents hold talks on strengthening ties

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, who arrived in Kathmandu on a three-day state visit on Wednesday afternoon, held a meeting with his Nepali counterpart Bidya Devi Bhandari at the Presidential Palace.

Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the meeting between the two presidents had been warm and cordial.

"The two presidents exchanges views on ways to further strengthening political, social and cultural ties between Nepal and India. On the occasion, the Indian President congratulated President Bhandari, Nepalese people and the Constituent Assembly for the promulgation of constitution last year," Spokesman at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bharat Raj Paudyal told Xinhua.

The spokesman said the Indian president reiterated an invitation to his Nepali counterpart Bhandari to visit India at a convenient time.

Nepali Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal paid separate calls on the Indian President in Kathmandu.

Earlier today, Nepali president Bhandari received Mukherjee at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, who was accompanied by a high-level delegation.

This is the first visit by an Indian president to the Himalayan country after a hiatus of 18 years. The last Indian president to visit the neighboring country was K. R. Narayanan in May 1998.

Nepal and India started formal diplomatic ties with the signing of the Peace and Friendship Treaty in 1950. Enditem