New Delhi (NVI): Weeks ahead of Indian Army Chief MM Naravane’s visit to Nepal, the external intelligence agency- Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Samant Kumar Goel arrived in Kathmandu this afternoon.
The RAW chief landed in Nepal capital with a nine-member delegation at Tribhuvan International Airport by an Indian Air Force aircraft at 12:45 PM, reports Kathmandu based news website myRepublica.
Goel will be staying there for nine hours and is scheduled to hold high-level meetings in Kathmandu, the news portal reported.
However, the purpose of his visit is not clear. According to myRepublica, this is the second visit of RAW chief to Nepal after his appointment in July last year. Goel had paid a three-day visit to Nepal on July 20, 2019, it said.
Goel’s visit comes just weeks before the Indian Army Chief’s visit who is set to travel to Nepal next month in the first high-level visit between the two countries since a border row hit ties earlier this year.
Last week, Nepal’s defence ministry had announced that Naravane will visit in November. “The visit was approved by the government of Nepal on 3rd February 2020 but was postponed due to (the Covid-19) lockdown in both the countries,” it said in a statement.
-ARK
