Kathmandu, June 23

Non-resident ambassador of Algeria to Nepal Hamza Yahia-Cherif paid a courtesy call on Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Krishna Bahadur Mahara today.

During the meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Singha Durbar, the Algerian non-resident ambassador thanked the Government of Nepal for granting permission to Algerian nationals to return home without penalising them.

Algerian citizen Abdel Kader Ibrahim Azuz had been living in Nepal for 16 years illegally.  The Government of Algeria had requested the Government of Nepal to repatriate him to Algeria through its Embassy in New Delhi. The government waived off the visa charge and fine on Azuz and granted him permission to go back to Algeria.

At the meeting, DPM and Foreign Affairs Minister Mahara apprised the Algerian non-resident ambassador that Nepal had fielded its candidacy for a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council for a term extending 2018-2020, and through him, requested the Government of Algeria for support.

The Algerian non-resident ambassador and DPM Mahara also discussed the ongoing crisis in the Arab region.