KATHMANDU: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has left for Poland today to participate in the 24th UN Climate Change Conference (COP24).

President Bhandari is leading a Nepali delegation comprising Minister for Forest and Environment, Shakti Bahadur Basnet, to the COP24 to be organised in Katowice of Poland.

The President is scheduled to address the climate change conference on Monday. She would also address a gathering of Nepalis living in Poland on Sunday.

The Vice-President, the Prime Minister, the Speaker, the National Assembly Chairperson, Ministers, high-ranking government officials and chiefs of security bodies were present at VVIP Longue of Tribhuvan International Airport to bid farewell to President Bhandari.

On the occasion, a contingent of Nepal Army offered a 21-gun salute in honour of the President. According to the Foreign Ministry, María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, the current President of the United Nations General Assembly for the 73rd session, would pay courtesy call on President Bhandari on Monday.

President Bhandari and President of Poland, Andrzej Sebastian Duda, would hold bilateral meeting on Tuesday. The President is scheduled to return home on December 6.

COP24 is taking place from December 2-14. Around 30,000 people of 196 countries of the world will participate in the global event.

Vice President to look after President’s responsibilities

Vice-President Nanda Bahadur Pun has been assigned to look after the constitutional responsibilities of the President as President Bhandari has left on an official visit to Poland today.

The Vice-President shall carry out the responsibilities of the President as per Article 67 (2) of the Constitution of Nepal, a communiqué issued by Chhabindra Parajuli, spokesperson at the Office of the President, stated.