Kathmandu, Nov 13 (IANS) Newly appointed Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Sudhakar Dalela, on Friday called on two Nepali cabinet ministers and the country's Foreign Secretary, as the two countries prepare the groundwork for an upcoming visit by Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah to New Delhi.

Dalela met Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Khadak Raj Paudel and Minister for Infrastructure Development Sunil Lamsal and discussed ways to expand cooperation in tourism, aviation and infrastructure.

In a statement, Nepal's Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation said the two sides discussed developing integrated Buddhist and Ramayana tourism circuits and expanding bilateral air connectivity, including regular commercial flights linking Nepal's two international airports outside Kathmandu with major Indian cities.

Nepal and India share Buddhist and Ramayana heritage and several important religious pilgrimage sites. Lumbini in Nepal is the birthplace of Lord Buddha, who attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya in India's Bihar and attained Mahaparinirvana at Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh.

Likewise, the two countries share important pilgrimage sites associated with the Ramayana. Ayodhya in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is traditionally regarded as the birthplace of Lord Ram, while Janakpur in Nepal is revered as the birthplace of Goddess Sita.

Preparations are also underway to launch a special train service connecting Janakpurdham with Ayodhya. In early November, India conducted a trial run for the proposed Ayodhya-Janakpur railway service, marking a step towards establishing a direct rail connection between the two religious cities.

According to the ministry, the two sides also discussed joint tourism promotion and the development of integrated Buddhist and Ramayana tourism circuits to promote their shared religious and cultural heritage and strengthen people-to-people ties.

Both sides underscored the importance of preserving their common cultural heritage and expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest to further deepen the longstanding historical, cultural and friendly relations between the two neighbouring countries.

During the meeting, Minister Paudel emphasised the need to operate regular commercial flights connecting Pokhara International Airport and Gautam Buddha International Airport with major Indian cities.

Nepal has long been seeking additional air entry routes from India to improve the viability of the two international airports outside Kathmandu and attract more international visitors.

The ministry said Paudel called for securing additional air entry routes and strengthening bilateral cooperation in aviation safety and technical capacity building.

In a social media post, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu said the meeting between Dalela and Paudel featured a productive exchange of views on enhancing connectivity, people-to-people ties and tourism. The embassy reaffirmed its commitment to further strengthening the close ties of friendship and cooperation between India and Nepal.

Dalela also held a separate meeting with Minister Lamsal on Friday. During the meeting, they discussed ways to deepen bilateral collaboration in infrastructure development and connectivity, the Indian Embassy said.

In another meeting with Nepal's Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai, discussions focused on various aspects of bilateral cooperation and ways to strengthen relations between the two countries, the embassy said.

Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a social media post that the two sides exchanged views on various aspects of Nepal-India relations and discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation for the mutual benefit of the two countries and their peoples.

Dalela presented his credentials to President Ramchandra Paudel on November 6, formally assuming his role as India's ambassador to Nepal.

--IANS

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