KATHMANDU, Nov 26:
Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali has said that Nepal
and Russia are agreed to take the bilateral ties to the next level
through enhanced political engagement and promotion of mutually
beneficial cooperation in diverse fields.
Gyawali, who is currently paying an
official visit to Russia made the remarks on Tuesday during a reception
held at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.
"The objective of my visit this time, in
my capacity as Foreign Minister of Nepal has been to bolster trust,
deepen political understanding, promote economic, commercial and
cultural ties and strengthen collaboration in dealing with regional and
global issues of common concern," he said.
Mentioning about his official talks with
Russian counterpart Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov on Monday, Gyawali said
that they exchanged substantive views on a wide range of topics.
"We agreed to work together to take our
relations to the next level through enhanced political engagement and
promotion of mutually beneficial cooperation in diverse fields. We
underlined the importance of exchanging high-level visits between the
two countries, activating established a bilateral consultation mechanism
and concluding a host of agreements and understanding to further
cooperative partnership," he said.
However, he did not indicate any possibility of high-level visits from Russia to Nepal in near future.
Gyawali said that he was satisfied with
the outcome of our discussions and our consensus on the road ahead to
realize the full potential of our mutual cooperation.
"We greatly value the continued dialogue
and exchange by engaging all walks of life and different sectors of
development. I offer my sincere appreciation to you all for playing an
active role in strengthening multi-faceted ties that exist between Nepal
and the Russian Federation," he added.
The foreign minister said that Nepal and
the Russian Federation are good friends ever since the establishment of
diplomatic relations in 1956.
"Since then, we have maintained cordial and friendly relations. This year marks the 63rd anniversary of the establishment of formal ties. I
would like to extend warm felicitations to all of you on this happy
the occasion, he said.
Stating that Nepal greatly values the bond
of friendship it enjoys with the Russian Federation, the Foreign Minister said that the bilateral ties between the two countries have
progressively evolved over the years to cover political, economic,
social, cultural and educational dimensions.
"It is a multidimensional partnership.
Continued engagements at various levels and mutual cooperation in the
areas of common interest have nurtured our friendship," he said adding
"Parliamentary and judicial exchanges and frequent visits by high
officials of both countries have contributed to widening the scope and
enriching the substance of our relationship."
Talking about Nepal's journey from war to
peace, the foreign minister said that the country is now moving forward
to achieve prosperity.
Gyawali also highlighted Nepal's foreign
policy priorities in his speech. "A clear sense of direction and
commitment in the conduct of an independent and balanced foreign policy
based on the notion of ‘amity with all, enmity with none’ has
underpinned our worldview," he said.
Gyawali said that his visit is about
Nepal’s commitment to reenergizing all aspects of multi-faceted
Nepal-Russia friendship. He also commended the contributions made by
Russia in the international arena for ensuring peace around the world.
"It is encouraging to witness continued progress achieved by the Russian Federation over the decades. In the
fields of technologies, infrastructure, innovation and research, the
progress has been remarkable. The Government, people and the academic
circle of Nepal greatly appreciate these and many other stellar
achievements made by the Russian Federation," he said.
FM seeks Russian support to become a full-fledged member of SCO
Stating that regional cooperation is one
of the defining attributes of international relations today, Gyawali
highlighted the importance of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
(SCO).
"SCO is a new opportunity for institutionalizing a long-lasting
environment for peace and prosperity in the region, and beyond," he said.
As a Dialogue Partner, Nepal has found SCO
as an additional platform for engaging in mutually beneficial projects
in wide areas including trade, transit, investment, energy, agriculture,
small and medium enterprises and culture, he said.
"We are looking for a full-fledged
membership of the organization to enhance our contribution. We are
thankful to the Government of the Russian Federation that it was in Ufa,
Russia, the decision to grant Nepal the dialogue partner status was
taken," he said.
The minister also said Nepal wants to
promote meaningful regional cooperation for the collective well-being of
the people in the region.
"We attach importance to SAARC and BIMSTEC
as principal vehicles for regional cooperation in our region. As I said earlier, we want to enhance our engagement in SCO. We are also pursuing
the objective of sub-regional cooperation within the framework of
BBIN-Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal. We are also a member of the
Asian Cooperation Dialogue," he said.
