Kathmandu, May 4
Navin Srivastava has been appointed as India’s next Ambassador to Nepal.
In preparation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Nepal on Buddha Jayanti, India is ready to appoint a new ambassador to Kathmandu.
The Indian newspaper The Hindustan Times reported on Srivastava’s appointment as
ambassador in its Wednesday edition. Srivastava is in charge of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs’ East Asia Division.
Srivastava, according to Indian media, was essential in resolving the two-year-old boundary dispute with China in Ladakh.
Former Indian Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra took over as Indian Foreign Secretary last
month, leaving the office of Indian Ambassador to Kathmandu empty. According to reports, the paperwork pertaining to Srivastava’s nomination as ambassador was also forwarded to Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
At the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, Srivastava is in charge of China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, and Mongolia. He is an experienced diplomat dealing with China, according to Indian media.
He formerly worked in Shanghai, China, as the Indian Council General. The Hindustan Times claimed that ”his expertise with China is likely to play a role in reducing the rising Chinese influence in Nepal.”
Delhi is about to send a diplomat to Kathmandu ahead of Modi’s visit to Lumbini on the occasion of Buddha Jayanti on May 16.
