Nepal PM Oli seeks to improve relations with India

Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli arrived in India on Friday for a three-day visit aimed at improving ties with Nepal's powerful neighbour.Oli, who came to power after elections in February, is leading a 45-member delegation to New Delhi, which has traditionally been the first international stop for Nepal's prime ministers.Oli and his wife Radhika Shakya were welcomed by Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh on their arrival.Oli is scheduled to address a gathering of business leaders of the two countries later in the day, hold an informal meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attend a reception hosted by Nepal's embassy where he would interact with the Nepalese community.Oli is due to hold delegation-level talks with Modi on Saturday. The two leaders are scheduled to remotely inaugurate an integrated checkpost at Birgunj, a major gateway to Nepal along the border.Oli was also prime minister in 2015 during a border blockade many believed was imposed by India to express dissatisfaction over the country's new constitution. The blockade led to crippling shortages of daily commodities in Nepal, which relies on India for supplies of goods and fuel.In his previous term, Oli visited China to break the Indian monopoly over Nepal and signed a series of agreements designed to allow the landlocked country access to the sea.Gopal Khakal, a former foreign affairs adviser to Oli, said the prime minister had decided to visit India after New Delhi expressed its willingness to mend ties."India seems keen to put an end to the differences and move forward. So our prime minister's visit can be described as a reciprocal gesture to India," he told DPA.Oli will return to Nepal on Sunday after receiving an honorary doctorate at a university in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.