Foreign Affairs Minister returns home attending NAM high-level meeting

KATHMANDU: OCT. 13 – Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Narayan Khadka returned home today after participating in the High-level Commemorative Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Belgrade of Serbia.

The Foreign Minister left for Serbia on October 8 at the invitation of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia Nikola Selaković and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov. The meeting held on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the first conference of the NAM was co-hosted by Serbia and Azerbaijan on October 11-12.

Talking to media at TIA upon his arrival from Serbia, the Minister said that the meeting and his visit both were successful and productive for Nepal.

Over 100 NAM members attended the special event and Minister Khadka addressed it on October 11.

As he said, current issues of global concerns such as rising ethnic/racial and inter-state conflict, violent extremism, international terrorism, climate change, economic recession, fiscal vulnerability , geopolitical tension, arms race and so on were raised strongly by Nepal during the meeting. Nepal also spoke up about the widening gap between the rich and poor, growing inequalities among them, fuel and food crisis and challenges caused by COVID-19 with priority during the regional gathering.

Stating that Nepal is the NAM member since its establishment and was actively doing its role in a forum of 120 states that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc, the Minister apprised the session that the Nepal’s Constitution had too adopted the principle of non-aligned movement as its major policy.

“In course of my address to the general conference I pointed out that it is necessary for the Non-Aligned Movement which is strong in view of number and on moral ground to build a peaceful, just and prosperous world by incorporating the voices of many countries left behind in development,” he said.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Khadka also stated that he put his views stressing on NAM to play an active role in multilateral organisations as the United Nations and the international financial institutions for structural improvement in their working style.

He said he also highlighted the issues of climate change and challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic to mankind. He further underscored the need to galvanize South-South cooperation to liberate and uplift countries and peoples from the clutches of poverty, inequality and deprivation.

Minister Dr Khadka said, “For NAM to stand relevant to influence global agendas of common concern, it must forge unity, cohesion, cooperation, and solidarity among its membership. NAM must be internally strong to foster goodwill and cooperation so that division and discord do not surface to undermine the unity of the Movement.”

Nepal calls upon all leaders of the world, of the Movement and beyond, to work for the shared future we all want and deserve, and to act together and to move forward for the good of all mankind, he added.

He stated that he held important bilateral talks in course of the Meeting and these talks have been significant for Nepal.

On the sideline of the Meeting, Foreign Minister Khadka held a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and discussed on multiple topics between the two countries. Similarly, he had held bilateral talks with his counterparts from Serbia and Turkey.

Minister Khadka said during the meetings they discussed trade and economic investment, economic assistance and cultural relations between Nepal and these countries.