Kathmandu, June 2

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will embark on an eight-day Europe visit from June 8.

Oli will begin his trip from Switzerland and will visit the UK and France thereafter.

In Geneva, Oli will address a high-level gathering organised to mark the 100th anniversary of  International Labour Organisation on June 10.

The same day he will leave for the UK and address the Oxford Union — a debating society in the city of Oxford, England, that has a tradition of hosting some of the world’s most prominent individuals across politics, academia and popular culture.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali said PM Oli’s address would cover Nepal’s development direction and a change in people’s lives through functional and comprehensive democracy.

On June 11, Oli will hold bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May. The meeting will also adopt a declaration that would briefly overview 203 years of Nepal-UK bilateral relations— social, economic, political.

In the bilateral meeting, the two sides will discuss issues related to British Gurkhas who have been agitating for the past few months, demanding equal pay, pension, and other facilities provided to British nationals.

“Issues of British Gurkhas have been under discussion for a long time. British Gurkhas have been demanding that inequality in some areas, between them and British nationals has to be addressed.

Some of the issues have been addressed, but they have been saying that issues related to pension have yet to be addressed,” according to Gyawali. “We have proposed to the British side for an overall review of all these issues.”

Oli, who will stay in the UK through June 12, will also address the British Parliamentary Committee and Nepali diaspora.

Flowing engagements in the UK, Oli will leave for France on June 12. In France, Oli will attend various programmes organised, to mark 70 years of Nepal-France bilateral relations. Bilateral discussions will focus on how to further strengthen relations and economic cooperation between two countries.

Besides addressing the French business community, PM Oli will also address a special programme on Visit Nepal Year-2020.