Kathmandu, Nov. 8 -- As preparations ramp up for Prime Minister Balendra Shah's India visit, observers have cautioned Kathmandu against approaching New Delhi with an extensive wish list, arguing that Nepal should instead focus on restoring the political trust and confidence with its southern neighbour.

"Ask no favour and take no wish list along. Talk to the other side eye to eye as an equal counterpart," former foreign secretary Madhu Raman Acharya advises the Nepali prime minister. "Concentrate on issues that need to be resolved at the highest political level. Focus on building trust and confidence. Let the mechanisms work on the issues; the rest will follow."

India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri returned to Delhi on Thursday after t...