Minister Mahat stresses on special needs of LDCs and LLDCs

Kathmandu, Sept 23: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat, today attended the 15th annual Ministerial Meeting of the Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) on the sidelines of the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Highlighting the special needs of LDCs and LLDCs, the Minister underlined the importance of promoting inclusive, equitable and sustainable development at the regional level through the effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, according to a statement from Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations.
Ambassador/Permanent Representative of Nepal to the UN, Durga Prasad Bhattarai noted the importance of implementing the Vienna Programme of Action (VPOA) for the LLDCs effectively in full synergy and perfect coherence with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other internationally agreed goals and targets. He also highlighted the importance of transit cooperation in the context of special needs of global attention and support for the LLDCs.

Foreign Minister Mahat also attended the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Ministerial Meeting held in New York today emphasizing on need to place poverty eradication on the forefront of ACD agenda and stressing further that poverty anywhere is a threat to prosperity everywhere. He also stressed on the potentials of regional cooperation in the areas of energy, connectivity, tourism and culture.

On the occasion, Minister expressed his confidence that the region would be able to attain SDGs by the set timeframe as the 2030 Agenda provides a framework for promoting inclusive, equitable and sustainable development at the regional level through our constructive and collaborative efforts.

The visiting Head of the Nepali Delegation, Minister Mahat, met various world leaders and discussed matters of common interest.

Minister Mahat meets Pakistani, Norwegian PMs

At the sidelines of the UNGA, Minister Mahat called on Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The discussion between the two leaders featured various matters including ongoing preparations for the 19th SAARC Summit in Pakistan and promoting trade and investments in Nepal.

Minister Mahat also held a bilateral meeting with his Norwegian counterpart Børge Brende. During the meeting the two foreign ministers discussed ways and means to further strengthening the bilateral relations and cooperation on matters of mutual interest. The Minister apprised him of the ongoing reconstruction work in Nepal in response to the Norwegian minister’s interest in knowing more about it.

British Minister, US Under-Secretary of State meets Minister Mahat

Meanwhile, Alok Sharma, the British Minister for Asia, called on the Foreign Minister Mahat during which the two exchanged views on bilateral and multilateral issues including Nepal’s recent political developments, trade and investment situation in Nepal and the possible impact on Nepal’s trade with the UK following Brexit, post-retirement benefits of ex-Gurkhas prior to 1997, among others.

Similarly, US Under-Secretary of State Thomas Shannon paid a courtesy call on Minister Mahat. During the occasion, the two sides touched on a wide range of matters on bilateral relations. The ongoing post-disaster reconstruction and progress in the implementation of the Constitution of Nepal also figured during the meeting.

Earlier today, Minister Mahat had attended the Ministerial Breakfast of the Group of Friends of Mediation jointly organized by Finland and Turkey in New York.

Speaking at the programme, he shared Nepal’s belief that mediation should aim at long-term political solutions for the purpose of peaceful settlement of disputes, conflict prevention and resolution. RSS