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Nepal's King Gyanendra arrived in New Delhi on Sunday night on a six-day State visit for talks with Indian leaders during which steps to further consolidate bilateral ties, the threat of terrorism faced in the region and Maoist violence confronting the Himalayan Kingdom are expected to figure prominently.
The Nepalese King, accompanied by Queen Komal Rajya Laxmi, is heading a high-power delegation that includes the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Purna Bahadur Khadka.
He was warmly received at the Delhi airport by Minister of State for Railways Digvijay Singh and Foreign Secretary Chokila Iyer.
Shortly before embarKing for Delhi, the King said in a statement that his visit would help to further strengthen relations between Nepal and India.
India is attaching considerable significance to the visit, the first abroad by King Gyanendra since he acceded the throne in June last year, following the Palace massacre.
The two countries have very close relationship based on geographical proximity as well as historical, civilisational and cultural linkages, officials said.
India has condemned the activities of Maoist insurgents and expressed support for the steps taken by the Nepalese Government to restore normalcy and order in the Himalayan Kingdom.
New Delhi will, in all probability, use the occasion to reaffirm its support to constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy in the Himalayan Kingdom.
Kathmandu has been appreciative of India understanding the sensitivities of the Nepalese people in the wake of the assassination of King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya and some other members of the Royal family on June one last year.
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will call on the King at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday when the two leaders are expected to exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual concern.
This will be the second meeting between the two leaders since January when Vajpayee had called on the King in Kathmandu on the sidelines of the SAARC Summit.
The Nepalese King, who has a long association with India and has studied in a Darjeeling school, will be accorded a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday morning. President K R Narayanan will host a banquet in honour of the visiting dignitary.
A number of senior Cabinet ministers, including Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh, Defence Minister George Fernandes, Human Resources Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi and Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj, will call on the King during his stay here.
Leader of the opposition Sonia Gandhi and former prime ministers Chandra Shekhar, I K Gujral and P V Narasimha Rao will also be meeting the King.
The Nepalese King will have an interactive session with the CII and FICCI over a luncheon meeting on Tuesday.
King Gyanendra will seek the blessings of the Shankaracharya of Kamakoti who will reach Delhi especially for the meeting. The King will also visit Kolkata and Guwahati before returning to Kathmandu on June 28. He is slated to visit China next month.
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