Kathmandu, Aug. 10: Ambassador of India to Nepal Naveen Srivastava met Prime Minister Balendra Shah (Balen) on Monday and conveyed warm greetings from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Srivastava said the two sides discussed ways to further strengthen Nepal-India relations during their meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Singha Durbar.

The meeting lasted around 45 minutes. The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu also confirmed that the discussions focused on further strengthening bilateral relations.

Earlier, Shah had declined to meet Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri during his proposed visit to Nepal on May 11. Misri’s visit was subsequently postponed at the last minute. He had been scheduled to visit Nepal to engage with the new government and discuss the possibility of Shah making a visit to India.

Shah has now begun direct engagements with ambassadors of Nepal’s neighbouring countries as his government faces a series of challenges.

The meeting with the Indian envoy comes amid efforts by the Shah-led government to strengthen diplomatic engagement with Nepal’s immediate neighbours.

The two sides also discussed further deepening cooperation and the longstanding multidimensional partnership between Nepal and India, according to the Indian Embassy.