New Delhi | Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will pay a two-day visit to Nepal beginning Sunday, in his first trip abroad after assuming charge of the top office.

Announcing the visit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the foreign secretary's upcoming trip reflects the priority India attaches to its relations with Nepal under its "Neighbourhood First" policy.

"Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will be on an official visit to Nepal from August 11-12 at the invitation of the Foreign Secretary of Nepal, Sewa Lamsal," it said.

The MEA also referred to the "age-old civilisational, cultural and people-to-people connect" between the two neighbouring countries.

The bilateral cooperation between the countries has further strengthened in recent years, with continued momentum in high-level exchanges and major infrastructure and connectivity projects in Nepal having been completed and new ones undertaken with the government of India's assistance, the ministry said in a statement.

"This visit of the Foreign Secretary will be an opportunity to further advance our bilateral ties," it said.

Nepal is important for India in the context of its overall strategic interests in the region and the leaders of the two countries have often noted the age-old "Roti-Beti" relationship.

Nepal shares a border of more than 1,850 km with five Indian states -- Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The land-locked country relies heavily on India for the transportation of goods and services.