Trip to focus on attracting investment

Kathmandu, November 14

Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali today said his upcoming visit to Japan would mainly focus on attracting investment in the areas of roads and railways, hydropower and agriculture modernisation.

Minister Gyawali is going on a five-day official visit to Tokyo from November 17 to 21 at the invitation of Japan’s Foreign Minister Taro Kono.

Gyawali said Japan was Nepal’s main development partner and donor, and its assistance after the 2015 earthquakes was invaluable. “During this visit, we will convey our thanks to Japan for all the support, and identify new areas of cooperation, especially in the area of investment,” said Gyawali at a media briefing today.

In Japan, Gyawali will attend an investment seminar and interaction organised by Japan External Trade Organisation and other institutions. Major Japanese industrialists and company representatives are expected to participate in the event. Investment Board Nepal CEO Maha Prasad Adhikari is also participating in the meeting.

Gyawali said discussions would also be held with Japanese authorities on the possibility of sending skilled and semi-skilled manpower from Nepal to Japan.

Gyawali will also meet members of the Japan-Nepal Parliamentary Friendship League and representatives of Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Nepali community.

Also, he will visit Osaka where he will observe development projects, especially agro-processing projects.

On his way back, Gyawali will visit Thailand, where he will observe the Nepali embassy there and meet representatives of regional organisations. On the ministry’s move to restructure its internal organisation, Gyawali said the ministry was facing human resources shortage, and would soon conduct an Organisation and Management Survey to ascertain the actual need.

“This is not to offer jobs to near and dear ones of anybody, but the actual need of the ministry,” he said, adding that restructuring of Nepali missions abroad would also being done within this fiscal.

He also made it clear that the government would not recall ambassadors just because they were appointed by previous governments, but on the basis of their performance.

As for India imposing visa requirement for Nepalis coming to Nepal via India, he said the government was aware of difficulties facing Nepali travellers, and that the issue would be solved diplomatically very soon.

According to Gyawali, President Bidhya Devi Bhandari is visiting Poland from December 1 to 5 to take part in the Work Climate Conference. In the conference, Nepal will convey to the world how the future of humanity is at risk due to climate change, Nepal’s exact challenges, and seek assistance for Nepal to fight climate change.

The foreign minister also informed about bilateral visit to Nepal of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who will be arriving in Kathmandu on November 29. After the bilateral visit, Sen will also attend the International Conference of Asian Political Parties being held from December 1 in Kathmandu.

On the delay in submission of the report of the Eminent Person’s Group on Nepal-India Relations, Gyawali said the Indian side had been saying that the handover was delayed due to Indian prime minister’s busy schedule.