Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal has said that both Nepal and India are positive about Prime Minister Balen Shah’s visit to India.
Speaking at a press conference at Tribhuvan International Airport on Wednesday after returning home from the 81st United Nations General Assembly, Khanal said that a date for the prime minister’s India visit has not yet been finalized.
“An invitation for the prime minister’s visit to India was received from the beginning, and Nepal has taken it positively. Both sides are positive about arranging a result-oriented visit at an appropriate time. However, the date of the visit has not yet been finalized,” he said.
According to Minister Khanal, India extended the invitation to the prime minister shortly after the government was formed.
He said that Nepal welcomed the invitation and that both sides were discussing the possibility of arranging a result-oriented visit at an appropriate time.
Khanal said that after the formation of the government, Nepal's priority issues have been clearly communicated to both neighboring countries through visits based on priority.
He also said that during the UN General Assembly, Nepal raised issues concerning its national interests in meetings with heads of government, heads of state, and foreign ministers from various countries.
Foreign Minister Khanal claimed that the 81st General Assembly was fruitful in promoting Nepal’s interests.
During the assembly, Nepal raised critical issues on the international stage, including the recent disaster caused by the Bhotekoshi flood, challenges posed by climate change, and reconstruction efforts, he said.
Minister Khanal shared that problems faced by mountainous countries like Nepal due to climate change were presented as a "Himalayan tsunami" to draw the global community's attention.
He said that Nepal emphasized the effective mobilization of climate finance and compensation funds to reduce the impact of such disaster, rather than being limited to emergency relief alone.
Khanal also claimed that PM Shah’s address to the General Debate was effective in presenting Nepal’s concerns on the global stage.
According to him, the prime minister’s address was among the most viewed and closely followed speeches at this year’s General Assembly.
Khanal said that following the prime minister’s address, various international figures praised the issues raised in the speech and expressed solidarity.
During the General Assembly, Nepal established diplomatic relations with three new countries – Grenada, Namibia, and Senegal. This brought the number of countries with which Nepal has diplomatic relations to 188. Nepal also signed memorandums of understanding with several countries on visa exemptions for diplomatic and service passport holders.
Minister Khanal expressed gratitude to neighboring friendly countries and the international community for their contributions to search, rescue, relief, and assistance following the Bhotekoshi flood. He said that Nepal also requested additional support for post-flood reconstruction.
He also thanked the United States and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the financial assistance they announced for flood victims. According to Khanal, other members of the international community have also shown a positive response to reconstruction efforts.
Khanal claimed that the high-level meetings, multilateral engagements, and the prime minister’s address during the General Assembly further strengthened Nepal’s diplomatic profile. He said that the engagements had laid the groundwork for making Nepal’s diplomacy more effective and advancing the country’s national interests in the days ahead.
(News Agency Nepal)
