Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali who travels to Japan on Saturday on an official visit will discuss the possibilities of sending migrant workers with Japanese authorities. The Government of Nepal is exploring possibilities to send its migrant workers to Japan through a government-to-government deal. Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali who travels to Japan on Saturday on an official visit will discuss the topic with Japanese authorities. This is one agenda of my visit, he said during a press conference at his ministry on Wednesday, I will explore the possibilities of sending Nepali skilled and unskilled manpower to Japan. “We want to have government to government deal in this respect,” Minister Gyawali said.

Nepal will also look for other opportunities like introducing agro-based technology from Japan and discuss aspects of our bilateral relations with Japan, the minister told reporters. On the situation in South Asia, Gyawali said Kathmandu is closely watching the recent developments in Bhutan and Sri Lanka. We are closely watching what is happening in Sri Lanka, he said without commenting much on the internal affairs of the island country. Regarding Bhutan, the Foreign Minister said, “It was interesting development taking in Bhutan where democracy is thriving.” Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and Gyawali have already sent their congratulatory messages to the new PM and Foreign Minister of Bhutan. The centre-left Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT), established in 2013, won 30 of the 47 national assembly seats. It’s victory is keenly followed in the region.

In Sri Lanka, the removal of the prime minister, appointing arch-rival as new PM, dissolution of the parliament and reinstatement of the House by the Supreme Court are also fast unfolding political happenings in recent days. During the press conference, Minister Gyawali stressed Nepal’s long-standing position on Bhutanese refugees saying their right to return to their homeland should be preserved. “I met with senior officials from International Migration Organization (IOM) and UN refugee agency,” he said, “Our position is clear, those left (around 6,900) should be repatriated to Bhutan and others settled in third country, should have rights to return to Bhutan.

“I will remind you all one thing, while in the initial days of their third country settlement, UN refugee agency and IOM had assured us they would lobby with Bhutan for repatriation of those left in camps. It is sad to see that their assurance has not worked yet. The old and helpless people are living in camps now. They should return to Bhutan,” he said. With the new government installed inBhutan, we will talk with them for the repatriation of the refugee left in camps in Jhapa, the eastern district of Nepal. Gaywali rejected the local assimilation of the refugees. We have made huge humanitarian contribution to Bhutanese refugees and everyone should count our contribution, he added. Regarding appointments of ambassadors, he said this would be done soon. He also announced President Bidhya Devi Bhandari’s upcoming visit to Poland from December 1 to 5. The President will take part in the United Nations’ Climate Change Conference (COP 24).

Published on: 15 November 2018 | The Kathmandu Post