Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava Pays Farewell Visit to Nepal PM Balendra Shah

Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava met Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Tuesday for a farewell call as he prepares to return to India after completing his diplomatic tenure. The meeting was held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singhadurbar, according to a statement issued by the Nepal Prime Minister’s Office.

During the interaction, Prime Minister Shah described the relationship between Nepal and India as longstanding, close and cordial. He also conveyed his appreciation to the Government of India for its assistance to Nepal during recent floods, landslides and other natural disasters. Shah congratulated Srivastava on completing his assignment and wished him success in his future responsibilities.

Reflecting on his tenure, Srivastava said several development initiatives involving Nepal and India had progressed or been completed during his time as ambassador. He also thanked the Nepalese government and people for the cooperation and support extended to him throughout his stay. Srivastava is expected to leave Nepal for India on Wednesday following the completion of his assignment.

His farewell meeting with Prime Minister Shah is part of a series of engagements with senior Nepalese officials as he concludes his diplomatic posting. Earlier on September 21, Srivastava met Nepal’s House Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal as part of the same farewell programme. The ambassador had also held meetings with Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal and Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to Nepal’s Foreign Ministry, Khanal congratulated Srivastava on completing his tenure and acknowledged his efforts to further strengthen the broad-based relationship between Nepal and India. Foreign Secretary Rai also recognised the ambassador’s contribution to bilateral ties, particularly in areas including energy cooperation, cross-border infrastructure and people-to-people connections. The series of farewell meetings comes as India and Nepal continue cooperation in development, infrastructure, energy and humanitarian assistance. India’s support during recent natural disasters in Nepal has also remained an important part of the countries’ ongoing engagement.