Pokhara, March 18

A farewell ceremony was held today to see off foreign delegates who had come to Pokhara to participate in the 37th ministerial meeting of South Asian Association Regional Cooperation.

“While Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj returned home by an Indian Air Force plane, other foreign guests returned to Kathmandu,” said Deputy Chief of Protocol Rajaram Bartaula.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Kamal Thapa, Bartaula and Western Regional Administrator Shankar Prasad Koirala, among others, bade farewell to the guests at the Pokhara airport today.

Deputy PM Thapa termed it a successful event. “Earlier, there were reservations but thanks to the efforts of all concerned, the event has been a grand success,” he remarked.

Further, DPM Thapa said the guests could not be taken to landmarks of the city due to lack of time. “Although we wanted to take the guests to visit nearby places here, the same couldn’t happen due to lack of time,” said Thapa, adding, “But it is our success that the guests were happy with the hospitality they received.”

Following the conclusion of the meeting, the guests had enjoyed a brief boat ride on the Phewa Lake to reach Fishtail Lodge, where they had breakfast on Thursday morning.

The breakfast also provided Indian FM Swaraj and Foreign Affairs Advisor to Pakistani Prime Minister Sartaz Aziz an opportunity to hold a brief talk. As per the information provided by security agencies, a few guests also visited Sarangkot and Shanti Stupa.

Commenting on the event, Western Regional Administrator Koirala said the event helped a lot to promote the city as a tourist destination.

“Although we won’t see the results overnight, but Pokhara has gained a lot of publicity as a tourist destination. It is a matter of pride for the city to host an international event,” he said.

The SAARC ministerial meeting had begun from March 14.