Kathmandu, Feb 20: Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba has returned to Nepal today after participating in the 8th Indian Ocean Conference held in Muscat, Oman.
Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Al Busaidi jointly invited Dr Rana to take part in the conference.
Upon returning to Nepal, Minister Dr. Deuba briefed journalists at Tribhuvan International Airport about the visit, stating that the conference primarily focused on exploring new horizons in maritime partnerships. She mentioned that she represented Nepal at the event and addressed the gathering.
The conference saw the participation of foreign ministers from 40 countries in the Indian Ocean region. Dr. Deuba specifically addressed a session on strengthening the voice of the Global South.
During the visit, Minister Dr. Deuba held a bilateral meeting with Indian Foreign Minister Dr. Jaishankar. Additionally, she met with Oman’s Foreign Minister, Minister of Energy and Minerals, and Minister of Heritage and Tourism, as well as the foreign ministers of Iran, the UAE, Sri Lanka, and Japan’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs on the sidelines of the conference.
During her meeting with Iran’s Foreign Minister, Dr. Deuba urged for assistance in securing the release of Nepali student Bipin Joshi, who is under the control of the Hamas group.
Similarly, in her meeting with Japan’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, she requested support for the reconstruction of the BP Highway, which was damaged by floods last October. In meetings with the foreign ministers of the UAE, Sri Lanka, and Oman, she urged the respective countries to commence flights to Gautam Buddha International Airport.
During the visit, Nepal and Oman signed two separate memorandums of understanding in the fields of diplomacy and tourism.
Odisha incident resolved through diplomatic efforts
Meanwhile, Minister Dr. Deuba informed that the Nepal government had taken the death of a Nepali student at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Odisha, India, seriously and resolved the subsequent developments through diplomatic channels.
She mentioned that just yesterday, she spoke with Odisha’s Higher Education Minister Surjya Banshi Suraj regarding the case of Nepali student Prakriti Lamsal’s death. She urged for a fair investigation, legal action against the culprits, and the provision of a safe learning environment for Nepali students at the university.
Indian Minister Suraj assured that the Odisha state government had taken the incident seriously and had formed a high-level investigation committee to ensure justice for Prakriti and take action against the guilty.
Minister Dr. Deuba stated, “Following the incident, we immediately initiated diplomatic efforts. While demanding justice for the deceased and action against the guilty, we also coordinated with concerned authorities to ensure a safe learning environment for Nepali students. The university has since apologized, allowed students back into the hostel, and taken action against the staff involved in the misconduct.”
Since the Odisha government has already formed a high-level investigation committee, Nepal has requested a fair probe and legal action against those responsible.
Regarding this incident, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi have been in contact with the Odisha government and university administration, working in coordination to address the matter.
Responding to a query, Minister Dr. Deuba acknowledged that while Nepali students are present in various countries worldwide, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not have complete data on them. She emphasized that maintaining a record of Nepali citizens abroad would make rescue efforts more efficient.
She stated, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not have information on where Nepalis are or their current situations. We only learn about them when they face problems and need rescue. At that point, we often lack the necessary manpower for immediate intervention, creating challenges in addressing such issues.”
Dr Rana holds bilateral meetings with Oman’s Ministers
Earlier on Wednesday morning, Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba, who is on an official visit to the Sultanate of Oman, held a bilateral meeting with Eng. Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi, Minister of Energy and Minerals of the Sultanate of Oman.
In the meeting, Minister Rana highlighted the priorities of the Government of Nepal in energy sector and informed that hydropower, solar power, wind power, hybrid of solar and hydro, green hydrogen development are the mainstays of Nepal’s strategies in the energy sector, the Embassy of Nepal in Muscat, Oman said.
She added that collaboration in energy sector between Nepal and the Sultanate of Oman could bring mutual benefits to both nations.
Minister Eng. Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi stressed on the necessity to switch from fossil fuels to greener forms of energy for sustainable development and emphasized the need for collaboration with friendly nations like Nepal to achieve the goals set under the Oman Vision 2040.
He further maintained that the proposed MOU between Nepal and the Sultanate of Oman in the field of energy cooperation would open up new vistas of opportunities.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister held a bilateral meeting with Salim bin Mohammed bin Said Al Mahroqi, Minister of Heritage and Tourism of the Sultanate of Oman on Wednesday afternoon at the latter’s office where matters pertaining to bilateral relations between Nepal and the Sultanate of Oman were discussed, stated a press release issued by the Embassy on February 19.
Minister elaborated on the potential of tourism in Nepal and emphasized on joint collaboration in the field of adventure tourism apart from other sectors of tourism.
The Heritage and Tourism Minister of the Sultanate of Oman welcomed the Nepali delegation and expressed satisfaction over the excellent state of bilateral relations existing between the two countries.
He added that the MOU in the field of Tourism cooperation will augment opportunities for enhanced cooperation for businesses of both the countries.
Both the Ministers signed a “Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation of the Government of Nepal and the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism in the Sultanate of Oman in the field of Tourism Cooperation” on behalf of their respective governments.
Foreign Minister and the Nepali delegation arrived in the Sultanate of Oman on February 14 to attend the 8th Indian Ocean Conference and hold bilateral meetings.
During her stay in Oman, she held thirteen bilateral meetings, concluded two MOUs, held a virtual meeting with Nepali Ambassadors and diplomats in GCC countries, and interacted with the representatives of the Oman-based Nepali Community, the press release noted. #nepal #oman #DrArzu
