KATHMANDU, JUNE 26

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is set to depart for Spain this coming Saturday on an official visit, leading a Nepali delegation.

During the visit, PM Oli is scheduled to participate in the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, to be held from June 30 to July 3.

Speaking to RSS, Shanil Nepal, Ambassador of Nepal to Spain, stated that all preparations for the visit have been completed. He also noted that the Nepali diaspora in Spain is enthusiastic and eagerly awaiting the Prime Minister's arrival.

In the course of the visit, Prime Minister Oli will hold bilateral meetings with his Spanish counterparts. On the occasion, Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) related to the expansion of bilateral relations and cooperation will be signed.

The Prime Minister is also scheduled to engage with members of the Nepali community and the Spanish business sector during his stay. The Embassy has confirmed that additional important bilateral meetings will take place on the sidelines of the conference.

Nepal–Spain Relations

Spain, a Western European nation with a parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy, spans approximately 505,990 square kilometers and has a population of around 47 million. It joined the European Union in 1986 and became part of the Schengen Area in 1995.

Diplomatic relations between Nepal and Spain were established on May 13, 1968. However, Nepal only established a residential embassy in Spain in 2018. Since Spain does not have an embassy in Nepal, its embassy in New Delhi oversees diplomatic affairs with Nepal.

Over the years, the two countries have exchanged several high-level visits. King Birendra visited Spain in 1983, and Spanish King Juan Carlos I made a four-day state visit to Nepal in 1987.

In 2016, then Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal attended a high-level meeting in Spain on the trafficking of conflict-affected individuals. Similarly, former Minister for Communications Gokul Baskota participated in a ministerial GSM event in Spain in 2019. In 2021, former President Bidya Devi Bhandari visited Spain, during which an agreement was reached to strengthen cooperation in climate change and tourism.

Spain is also emerging as a new foreign employment destination for Nepali workers. As one of the world's top tourist destinations, tourism is a major pillar of Spain's economy. The country attracts around 12.5 million tourists annually. In 2018, a total of 19,563 Spanish tourists visited Nepal.

Nepal, with its stunning natural landscapes, rich cultural diversity, spiritual heritage, and strong potential for adventure tourism, is increasingly attracting Spanish and other European travelers.

This upcoming high-level visit is expected to significantly enhance Nepal's visibility as a tourism and investment destination in Europe.

(With inputs from Rastriya Samachar Samiti)