Ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane held a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday during his five-day visit to India.

India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar attended the meeting.

Lamichhane was accompanied by his wife Nikita Paudel, party joint general secretary and lawmaker Bipin Acharya, secretariat members and lawmakers Deepak Bohora and Pradeep Acharya.

Lamichhane had left for India at the invitation of the Bharatiya Janata Party on June 1. 

Following the meeting, Indian Prime Minister Modi said that he was delighted to meet RSP President Lamichhane and shared his desire to work closely together for a shared and prosperous future. 

“Delighted to meet the Chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party of Nepal, Mr. Rabi Lamichhane. I welcome and fully share his desire to work closely together for a shared and prosperous future,” Modi wrote on X.

Emphasizing Nepal’s importance in India’s regional policy, Modi said the country remains a priority partner under New Delhi’s “Neighbourhood First” approach.

“Nepal is a priority partner under our Neighbourhood First policy and we look forward to collaborating with the new government to elevate the special and multifaceted relationship between our two countries to greater heights,” he further said. 

Earlier on Tuesday, Lamichhane met with Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Nitin Nabin.