Press Release
Hon. Foreign Minister’s engagements in New Delhi
Hon. Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat addressed this evening the opening panel of 2nd edition of the Raisina Dialogue organized in New Delhi by the Ministry of External Affairs of India in partnership with the Observer Research Foundation.
Speaking on the theme of ‘Big Politics and New Challenges’, Hon. Foreign Minister underscored the importance of multilateral approach in addressing major challenges the world faces today. In 2015, we demonstrated our collective ability to address global challenges by adopting SDGs and Paris Agreement and yet, agreements on several critical agendas of multilateral process have been hard to reach, he stated.
Highlighting the fact that the world is more integrated than ever in terms of knowledge, technology, trade and investment, the Foreign Minister expressed concern over rhetoric of barriers and divisive forces in the form of sectarian violence, religious extremism and terrorism that are gaining ground and posing great threat to individual liberty, democratic institutions and rule of law.
Hon. Dr. Mahat underlined the key challenges faced by least developed countries including disproportionate impact of climate change. A low industrialized country like Nepal emits insignificantly low amount of green house gases and has no contribution to global warming, but impacts of global warming is already visible in terms of erratic climate conditions and melting of glaciers and ices in Himalayan region, he said.
On the issue of energy security, Hon. Foreign Minister made a point that development of hydropower in is the area that promises great opportunities for partnership and cooperation in the region.
Stating that that greater regional integration is beneficial to all, Dr. Mahat pointed out the need of enhancing regional and sub regional processes – SAARC, BIMSTEC and BBIN.
The Foreign Minister appreciated India’s ‘neighbourhood first’ and stressed that such policy could be translated into concrete deliverables in the form of more trade, investment and connectivity of railways, highways and transmission infrastructure, and mega projects as joint undertaking.
Referring to the developments in Nepal, Hon. Foreign Minister shared that the promulgation of Constitution last year has been a major achievement towards consolidation of democracy.
Earlier today, Hon. Foreign Minister had a meeting with the Finance Minister of India, H.E. Mr. Arun Jaitley. The two Ministers deliberated on economic cooperation, post-earthquake reconstruction, trade and transit, and exchange of high denomination India currency notes in Nepal.
The Foreign Minister also had a meeting with Minister of State of External Affairs of India, H.E. V.K. Singh and exchanged views on wide range of matters of Nepal-India relations.
Also today, the Deputy Secretary General for Economic and Global Issues of the European External Action Service (EEAS), Mr Christian Leffler called on Hon. Dr. Mahat.
Hon. Foreign Minister will depart for Kathmandu early tomorrow morning.
Embassy of Nepal,
New Delhi
January 17, 2017