Kathmandu, 23 April 2024 (QNA)

The Amir of State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the invitation of President of Nepal arrived Tuesday in Kathmandu on a state visit from 23-24 April 2024. It is first ever visit to Nepal by any Arab leader.

He was welcomed upon arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport by President of Nepal, Ram Chandra Poudel; Vice-President Ram Sahaya Yadav; Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Devraj Ghimire; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Narayan Shrestha; Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Shakti Bahadur; Ambassador of Qatar to Nepal, Mishaal bin Mohammad Al Ansari; Ambassador of Nepal to the State of Qatar, Dr. Naresh Bikram Dhakal; a number of senior officials in the Government of Nepal, and members of Qatar's Embassy.

The Amir of Qatar was accorded an official reception ceremony upon arrival, during which 21 artillery shots were fired to welcome His Highness.  Today was official Public holiday in Nepal to mark the arrival of Amir of State of Qatar, as per the Cabinet decision in a meeting on Monday announced by the government’s Spokesperson and Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma.

HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani held a meeting today, Tuesday with President of Nepal Ram Chandra Poudel at the Sheetal Niwas Presidential Palace in Kathmandu.

At the outset of the meeting, the President of Nepal welcomed the Amir and the accompanying delegation, praising His Highness' visit as the first Arab leader to visit Nepal, which reflects the depth of relations between the two countries, looking forward to working with His Highness to enhance mutual cooperation and advance relations to broader levels.

The Amir of Qatar voiced his deep thanks to the President of Nepal for the warm reception and hospitality accorded to him and the accompanying delegation. He
stressed that his visit reflects the importance of the distinguished relations that bring together the two countries, hoping that the visit and the resulting discussions, agreements, and memoranda of understanding will contribute to developing friendly relations and cooperation for the benefit of the two countries and their friendly peoples.

He praised the Nepalese community in the State of Qatar and its contribution to several developmental fields in the country.

During the meeting, the two sides also discussed aspects of cooperation between the two friendly countries and ways to enhance and develop them, in addition to the most prominent regional and international issues of common interest.

The meeting was attended by Chief of the Amiri Diwan, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani; Minister of Commerce and Industry, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Qassim Al-Thani; Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi; and members of the official delegation accompanying HH the Amir.

On the Nepalese side, the meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Narayan Kaji Shrestha; Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Shakti Bahadur Basnet, and a number of senior officials.

Later, President of Nepal hosted a dinner banquet in honor of the Amir of State of Qatar and the accompanying delegation. Present on the occasion were also First Lady Sabita Paudel; Vice President Ramsahaya Prasad Yadav; Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal; Speaker Devraj Ghimire; National Assembly Chairman Narayan Prasad Dahal. Chief Justice, Deputy Prime Ministers, former Prime Ministers, ministers, lawmakers, industrialists, and other dignitaries.

Various cultural performances were showcased during the banquet.

As per Daily 'my Republica' Nepal, Kathmandu, Capital of Nepal has been adorned with welcome gates and banners along major roads and intersections in honor of arrival of Amir of Qatar.

The visit is expected to help elevate the bilateral relations between Nepal and Qatar to a new height. The Qatari Emir's visit marks the first highest-level visit from the entire Middle East to Nepal. Qatar serves as one of the major labor destinations for Nepalis.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal will lead the talks with the Qatari delegation headed by Amir of Qatar on Wednesday. It is expected that a number of MoUs to be signed during this visit in areas including youth, sports, education and scientific research.

Ambassador of Nepal to the State of Qatar, Dr. Naresh Bikram Dhakal in an interview with Qatar News Agency described the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani's visit to Nepal as a cornerstone for consolidating the foundations of cooperation, partnership and building a bright future for bilateral relations. He said that the visit is going to be unprecedentedly historic and cornerstone in the annals of our diplomatic relations'.

He said that visit paves the way for new opportunities and contributes to achieving significant milestones in bilateral relations by further expanding the areas of cooperation and benefiting from the strength and experience of the two countries to achieve mutual benefits, adding: 'Both leaders will focus during the talks on achieving significant results that lead to shared goals in development, prosperity, innovation, and growth'.

He said that the Government of Nepal has, therefore, attached utmost importance to this visit. With preparations in full swing, the government and people of Nepal are eagerly looking forward to welcoming HH the Amir on the land of Mt. Everest in a visit that we are confident it will be successful by all standards.

Dr Dhakal said that several agreements and memorandums of understanding are expected to be signed during HH visit including Cooperation in the fields of press and information; Health, Education, Higher education and scientific research, Power sector, and cultural cooperation, among others.

He said that it is also expected to open up the various avenues of bilateral cooperation between the two countries such as trade, tourism, agriculture, investment, education, science and technology, and culture.

There are a number of MoUs and agreements signed between both the countries over the past few years in various fields, including manpower employment, air service, economic, commercial and technical cooperation, avoidance of double taxation, human rights, abolishing visa requirements for the diplomatic and official passport holders, security cooperation, agriculture, and food security.

Nepalese envoy said that 'Over the years, bilateral ties between our two countries have witnessed steady progress through cooperation in various areas including labor field. Qatar has become one of the popular destinations among Nepali migrant workers in the past two decades. Nepali workers have been contributing to infrastructure development, including all stadiums for FIFA World Cup 2022 and other facilities.

A Bilateral Agreement Concerning Nepali Manpower Employment in the State of Qatar was signed on Mar. 21, 2005, with its additional protocol signed on Jan. 20, 2008. The agreement aims to protect and promote the interests of the workers in the State of Qatar and regulate the supply of Nepali manpower to the country,.

He praised the care and attention the Nepali community receives in Qatar and lauding the broad labor reforms implemented by Qatar in recent years to ensure the rights of migrant workers. They include the establishment and operationalization of Qatar Visa Centres (QVC), the non-requirement of exit permits, and the implementation of non-discriminatory minimum wages, among others, the Nepalese workers largely benefitted from the reforms introduced, he said.

On trade side, he said that despite modest bilateral trade between the countries, they have gained momentum in recent years. Nepal exports carpets, food products, textiles, and leathers to Qatar, whereas Nepal imports polyethylene, gold jewelry, electronic equipment and parts, and textiles from Qatar, he added.

Dr Dhakal said that Nepal has potential in hydropower, tourism, agriculture, ICT, and urban development, he has invited Qatari companies and Qatari businessmen to invest in his country. Nepal offers several investment opportunities in various sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, ICT, health, education, transportation, mines and minerals, and urban development are other promising areas in Nepal for foreign direct investment.