KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 28
Colombia's Ambassador to Nepal Mariana Pacheco Montes has said that both Colombia and Nepal shared the same principles and values of international relations and they could coordinate their responses and collaborate efforts at international fora in the days ahead.
She said climate change was one issue where both Colombia and Nepal could coordinate their responses and collaborate in the international fora as they had the same goals on this issue.
Ambassador Montes who recently presented her credentials to President Bidhya Devi Bhandari told The Himalayan Times that Colombia and Nepal could learn a lot from their experiences in political and other fields. Sharing of experience could help both the countries achieve their social and economic recovery. "At present both Colombia and Nepal need to advocate equality and justice particularly in COVID-19 vaccines. "In some countries people have already received the fourth dose of COV- ID-19 vaccines but in some poor countries, people have not received even the first dose," she added. I believe that the share of economic growth should be equally distributed to people of all groups.
"You have the first female president in your country and we also have the first female vice-president in our country," she added.
According to her, Colombia created 1.3 million jobs recently through micro-credit scheme and 51 per cent of those jobs were for women.
The Ambassador said Colombia and Nepal should explore more areas of cooperation in agriculture, trade and tourism.
According to her, Nepal could export its tea to Colombia and Colombia could also export its coffee to Nepal. Our coffee is very popular and so is your tea, she added.
She said Colombian engineering firms could also assist in Nepal's infrastructure building. "We have started export of iron oxide painting to Nepal, and I think there is more prospect of this trade between our two countries," she added.
Ambassador Montes also said that Colombia, which had been getting 70 per cent of its energy from hydropower, was also trying to promote solar and wind energy to meet the shortfall. She said Colombia is a member of the non-aligned movement as is Nepal.
She added that Colombia is not in favour of allowing any foreign troops on its soil. Colombia is a global partner of NATO and will continue demining operations in Colombia left by guerrillas.
Colombia is also collaborating with the US in the fight against drug trafficking and terrorism.
The Ambassador said Colombia was hosting six million Venezuelan refugees who fled the regime of Nicolas Maduro. "They are our brothers and sisters and we must provide refuge to them," she said and added that during the Revolutionary Armed Force of Colombia (FARC) movement, one million Colombians had taken refuge in neighbouring Venezuela so it was Colombia's duty to provide refuge to Venezuelans.
"We would like to share our experience with Nepal on migration as we are dealing with the problem of refugees in our country," she added.
Giving the example of her own country where dissidents of FARC continued to indulge in drug trafficking, illegal mining and kidnapping, she said signing peace accord with insurgents would not be enough to establish and sustain peace. She said that continuous vigilance against new groups of insurgents should be maintained.
A version of this article appears in the print on March 1 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
