Paris, March 27 External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar extended his greetings to his Nepali counterpart, Shisir Khanal, on Friday, and looks forward to working closely to further strengthen the traditional partnership.
"Warm wishes to Shisir Khanal on assuming the role of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nepal. @shisir," Jaishankar said in a post on X.
Nepal's new Prime Minister, Balendra Shah, along with his ministers, took the oath at a special ceremony held at the official residence of the President, Shital Niwas, in Kathmandu on Friday.
"I look forward to working closely with him to further strengthen our traditional partnership. @MofaNepal," he added.
Nepal is important for India in the context of its overall strategic interests in the region, and leaders of the two countries have often noted the age-old "Roti Beti" relationship.
Landlocked Nepal relies heavily on India for the transportation of goods and services. Nepal's access to the sea is through India, and it imports a predominant proportion of its requirements from and through India.