PM Koirala arrives in India today

Kathmandu, June 6 (UNI) Nepalese Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala is leading a 41 member delegation on a five day goodwill visit to India from today at the invitation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

According to the foreign ministry, Dr. Singh will meet Koirala at 1100 hrs tomorrow. He will also meet President APJ Abdul Kalam and Home Minister Shivraj Patil tomorrow.

Official level talks will be held between visiting Nepalese delegation and the Indian side in the afternoon the same day.

Mr Koirala will attend a dinner hosted in his honour by Dr. Singh tomorrow evening.

Mr Koirala will meet UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha L.K.

Advani and Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee during his stay.

He is scheduled to attend a reception hosted in his honour by the Nepalese embassy in New Delhi.

Mr Koirala's entourage includes five ministers, including Minister for Physical Planning and Construction Gopal Man Shrestha, Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives Mahanta Thakur, Minister for Finance Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, Minister for Local Development Rajendra Prasad Pandey and Minister of State for Women, Children and Social Welfare Urmila Aryal.

The 41 member delegation includes journalists and businessmen.

This is the first visit of Koirala since he became the Prime Minister after the restoration of democracy and reinstatement of the House in April.

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