President Mukherjee to visit Nepal in November

Kathmandu: Indian President Pranab Mukherjee is expected to visit Nepal from November 3. The visit, earlier scheduled from November 1, has been postponed by two days on account of Diwali, according to media reports here. Nepal's Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat met Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi on Monday and both sides agreed to expedite preparations for Mukherjee's visit to Nepal, the Kathmandu Post reported. Earlier, Preident Mukherjee was scheduled to visit Kathmandu from November 1. But in view of the Tihar festival, celebrated as Diwali in India, the visit postponed by two days. "Indian President Mukherjee is most likely to visit Nepal from November 3," the Kathmandu Post cited a source as saying. The final decision on the visit will, however, be taken during Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda's visit to India, starting from Thursday, according to sources. India and Nepal on Monday also held discussions about Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari's visit to India, which was earlier cancelled in May. Nepal has also requested Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Nepal. Prime Minister Prachanda is to extend an invitation to Modi to visit Janakpur, Lumbini and Muktinath.