Foreign Minister Mahat to embark on three nations’ tour

Kathmandu, January 9

Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat will be leaving for a tour of three countries Qatar, the United States, and India tomorrow.

According to a release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, Mahat will pay an official visit to Qatar at the invitation of his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani from January 10 to January 12.

Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi, a representative from the Ministry of Labour and Employment, and other officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will accompany him.

During his meeting with Al-Thani on January 11, the two will review bilateral relations and delve into the issues of labour, investment, and tourism promotion.

He is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on the Qatari Emir and hold talks with the Minister of Labour of Qatar.

The foreign minister will embark for the US on January 12 to attend the 5th Annual General Meeting of Non-Resident Nepali Association, USA. He will return home on January 16.

Though MoFA is yet to announce it, Minister Mahat is also scheduled to visit India on the very day of his return from the USA.

He will leave for India on the evening of January 16, and take part in the Raisina Dialogue, India’s flagship dialogue on geopolitics. The programme will be inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 17.

Talking to The Himalayan Times, Mahat said he will also meet with high-ranking Indian officials, to push forward bilateral issues and agendas.

The Nepali Embassy in New Delhi is working on Minister Mahat’s programmes and his return date from India is being fixed, he added.