Nepalese President Bidya Devi Bhandari was today accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here. President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Bhandari and then she was accorded the ceremonial guard of honour.
On Monday, Bhandari arrived here on a five-day visit to India at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee. She is being accompanied by a high level delegation comprising Ministers, MPs and senior government officials.
This is Bhandari’s first foreign tour after assuming office in October 2015.
Bhandari will later today hold meetings with Mukherjee, Modi, Vice President Hamid Ansari, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
The Nepalese President is also scheduled to attend a business event.
President Mukherjee will also host a state banquet in honour of the visiting dignitary.
The visit comes in the backdrop of intensified bilateral engagements at the political and official levels in recent times.
Bhandari will visit Gujarat and Odisha on Wednesday and Thursday before leaving for Kathmandu on Friday.
The visit reflects the priority that both the nations attach to further strengthening of their age-old and unique partnership, underpinned by shared historical and cultural linkages and strong people-to-people connections.