Kathmandu, Aug 11 (IANS): Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Sunday paid a courtesy call to Nepal Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli and President Ramchandra Paudel, during which he discussed ways to further strengthen the bilateral relations between India and the Himalayan nation.

During his meeting with the Nepal PM, the Foreign Secretary reaffirmed civilisational, close and multifaceted ties between the two nations and discussed ways to provide momentum to various sectors of bilateral collaboration.

This visit underscores the deepening bilateral relationship between the two nations under India's Neighbourhood First Policy.

In a significant gesture of India-Nepal cooperation, Foreign Secretary Misri and Maniram Gelal, Secretary of Nepal's Ministry of Urban Development, jointly inaugurated the new building of Nepal Bhasha Parishad in Kathmandu.

This building, constructed under India's post-earthquake reconstruction grant, marks a step forward in the reconstruction efforts that have been a cornerstone of Indian aid to Nepal.

In alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Ek Ped Ma Ke Naam' campaign, he also planted a sapling of Blue Jacaranda (Nili Gulmohar), symbolising the shared commitment of India and Nepal towards environmental sustainability.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) emphasised that Foreign Secretary Misri's visit continues the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between India and Nepal.

The MEA statement highlighted the longstanding civilisational, cultural, and people-to-people ties that form the bedrock of India-Nepal relations. The visit is expected to further advance bilateral cooperation, which has seen increased momentum in recent years, particularly in infrastructure and connectivity projects.

This visit marks Foreign Secretary Misri's first official trip to Nepal following the assumption of charge by Nepal's Prime Minister Oli.

The visit also underscores India's role as a crucial development partner to Nepal, with India increasing its aid to Nepal to Rs 700 crore in the Union Budget 2024-25, up from Rs 550 crore in the previous fiscal year.

A key highlight ahead of Foreign Secretary Misri's visit was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the MEA and NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), based in Bengaluru.

The MoU facilitates the launch of Nepal's Munal satellite, developed under the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), on NSIL's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) at no cost to Nepal. This agreement marks a significant milestone in India-Nepal space cooperation.

The MoU was signed by Anurag Srivastava, MEA's Joint Secretary (North), and NSIL Director A. Arunachalam, reflecting the growing collaboration in space technology between the two neighbouring countries.