Amir's visit fosters friendship, bolsters co-operation: Nepal president

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani's visit to Nepal will give the two countries opportunities for further multi-field co-operation and boost the bonds of friendship, said President of Nepal Ram Chandra Poudel, stressing that the two countries have a longstanding relationship, enriched by friendliness and co-operation which is steadily growing and also expanding with the passage of time.Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), he added that His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani is making his first official visit to Nepal, hailing His Highness the Amir as a "visionary leader" and said this is clear in the enormous progress of Qatar and efforts in establishing peace in the Middle East under His Highness' leadership. He added: "This visit shall provide us (with) strides in our socio-economic engagements and also an occasion to strengthening bonds of friendship." He hailed the cordial Qatar-Nepal relations based on "friendliness, mutual trust, support and co-operation" since the establishment of their diplomatic relations in 1977. He added that "the Government of Nepal always attaches high importance to its relation with Qatar."Highlighting Qatar's unwavering support for his country, he expressed appreciation for Doha's assistance when "Nepal was devastated by the earthquake in 2015 followed by Covid-19 pandemic", a gesture of deep and warm relations between the two countries. "I'd like to thank His Highness and the government of Qatar once again for this assistance," he said.Commenting on the future of bilateral relations and important areas of co-operation between the two countries, he highlighted the great successes in their co-operation in the areas of labour employment, air connectivity, tourism, legal, economic and technical co-operation, as well as the exchange of high-level visits and the strengthening of relations between the people of the two countries. "We will give continuity to these domains of co-operation, yet with higher degree of zeal," he said.He added that bilateral co-operation will cover other global issues, primarily the environmental challenges. He said, "On top of that, the issue of climate change has been a major concern for both of us and also to protect the mother Earth collectively. "The global warming has adversely been affecting the Mount Everest and adjoining Himalayas, a major source of fresh water in the region. All this (co-operation) will help elevate our bilateral relations to the next level".Regarding his evaluation of bilateral agreements to protect workers' rights, improve their conditions, and the contribution of Nepalese workers to supporting the Nepalese economy, he hailed Qatar's extensive reforms to strengthen labour laws and to increase protection for workers, spotlighting the reforms' positive impact on the protection of workers and promoting their interests, as well as regulating the supply of Nepali manpower to Qatar."As a result, Nepali migrant workers have largely got benefit from the reforms and thereby an ensuing positive effect in the Nepalese economy by dint of their remittances," he said.At the end of his interview, he referred to an agreement signed by Qatar and Nepal in 2005 concerning Nepali manpower employment in Qatar and its additional protocol signed in 2008.