Kathmandu, Oct 23 : Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali has said that Nepal, as a founding member, believes that a stronger and revitalized NAM is a sine qua non for achieving peace, development and security.
In his statement at the NAM Ministerial Meeting that began in Baku, Azerbaijan today, Foreign Minister Gyawali said that the NAM membership, in the spirit of solidarity, should support each other in building domestic capacity by sharing their experiences, best practices and resources through the South-South Cooperation mechanism.
“Multilateralism has been under attack due to growing trends of populist nationalism and protectionism”, he said while pointing out the need to strengthen the multilateral system by upholding and defending the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and of international law.
Stating that the principles of NAM constitute the fundamentals of Nepal’s foreign policy, he said the principles are enshrined in Nepal’s Constitution to guide her international relations.
Nepal believes that the principles of sovereignty and sovereign equality of States, territorial integrity and non-interference in the internal affairs of any State and pacific settlement of international disputes are the cardinal principles of the multilateral system.
“Our Movement is for equal rights, equal opportunities, equal protection and equal respect for all countries”, Minister Gyawali said. He stressed that reforms in the international financial systems are also critically important for timely achievement of sustainable development goals. They need to be further democratized to make them more open, transparent and equitable.
As trade and investment are not just engines of growth but important tools to ensure inclusive growth and sustainable development, the international trade and investment regimes should be universal, open, equitable, rule-based, predictable and non-discriminatory so all countries would be benefitted equitably.
Foreign Minister Gyawali shared on the occasion that, after the success of a unique and home-grown peace process that culminated in the promulgation of the new constitution in 2015, Nepal’s priority now is on economic transformation and sustainable development. “Implementation of the 2030 Agenda is our national priority and is integral part to our graduation from the LDC status”, he said.
Gyawali said Nepal anticipates an enhanced, predictable and continued international support including from the NAM membership for a smooth transition and sustainable graduation. Nepal is committed to doing all it can, including in forging partnerships among public and private sectors at home, it looks forward to an increased cooperation and partnership with all our international partners for necessary resources, investment, technology and other forms of support, he added.
