Both sides will build on their common agreement to increase cooperation, PM Narendra Modi said

India's ties with Nepal are "unparalleled", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on the eve of his one-day visit to
Lumbini in the neighboring country on the occasion of Buddha Purnima.

"Our ties with Nepal are unparalleled. The civilisational and people-to-people contacts between India and Nepal form the enduring edifice of our close relationship," Prime Minister Modi said in his departure statement in Sunday.

Emphasising on India-Nepal cultural and historical ties, he stated, "My visit is intended to celebrate and further deepen these time-honoured linkages that have been fostered through centuries and recorded in our long history of intermingling."

He mentioned that he was looking forward to meeting his Nepali counterpart, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, again following their "productive" talks last month when he was on a visit to India.

Both sides will build on their common agreement to increase cooperation in a variety of areas, including hydropower, development, and connectivity, he added.

Prime Minister Modi's visit to Nepal on Monday will be his fifth to the country since 2014.

Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra had earlier said that PM Modi's meetings with PM Deuba would have a comprehensive agenda to further strengthen relations.

According to the Nepalese Foreign Ministry, PM Deuba will hold a luncheon in honour of PM Modi and the visiting group. According to a statement, Prime Minister Modi's impending visit would help to improve bilateral relations and the two nations' long-standing socio-cultural ties.

PM Modi will also attend a foundation-laying ceremony of a Buddhist culture and heritage centre at Lumbini, which is revered as one of Buddhism's holiest sites since this is where Lord Buddha was born.