Kathmandu, Dec 10 (PTI) Senior BJP leader and the party's head of the foreign affairs department Vijay Chauthaiwale called on Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli at his official residence here on Thursday and discussed matters relating to Nepal-India relations, sources said.

Chauthaiwale tweeted that he is visiting Nepal at the invitation of Finance Minister and the ruling Nepal Communist Party General Secretary Bishnu Poudel.

Also Read | Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Announces Additional USD 250 Million for COVID-19 Research.

Prime Minister's press advisor Surya Thapa said that it was a courtesy call by the Indian leader.

"Honoured to call on Rt. Hon. PM @kpsharmaoli ji today. It's a pleasure to be in Kathmandu on the invitation of General Secretary of Nepal Communist Party and Finance Minister Shri Bishnu Paudel ji," Chauthaiwale tweeted along with a photo of him with the prime minister.

Also Read | Hannukkah 2020: PM Narendra Modi Wishes ‘Chag Hannukkah Sameach’ to People of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu And Jews.

The two leaders discussed matters relating to Nepal-India relations and the latest political situation of Nepal, sources said.

His visit comes at a time when the intra-party rift in Nepal's ruling party is at its peak due to rivalry between the two factions - one led by Oli and the other by former prime minister and party's executive chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda'.

The BJP leader's visit follows a series of high-level visits from India in recent weeks. Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardan Shringla visited Nepal at the end of November and held talks with Nepal's top leadership.

Earlier in November, Indian Army chief Gen. M M Naravane travelled to Nepal on a three-day visit during which he held talks with top leadership. His visit was largely aimed at resetting bilateral ties that came under severe strain following the border row.

Research and Analysis Wing chief Samant Kumar Goel visited Nepal in October and paid a courtesy call to Prime Minister Oli.

The ties between the two countries came under strain after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated an 80-km-long strategically crucial road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand on May 8.

Nepal protested the inauguration of the road claiming that it passed through its territory.

Days later, Nepal came out with the new map showing Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as its territories.

After Nepal released the map, India reacted sharply, calling it a "unilateral act" and cautioning Kathmandu that such "artificial enlargement" of territorial claims will not be acceptable to it.

In its reaction, after Nepal's lower house of parliament approved the bill, India had also termed as untenable the "artificial enlargement" of territorial claims by the neighbouring country.

India had said Nepal's action violates an understanding reached between the two countries to resolve the boundary issues through talks.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)