MoFA honours 10 veterans

 Foreign Affairs Day marked

 Kathmandu, May 24

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Wednesday honoured its veteran servicemen for their contributions to the field of foreign affairs.

At a programme organised by the ministry at its multipurpose building at Tripureshwor on the occasion of the second Nepal Foreign Service Day 2023 in Kathmandu, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Narayan Prakash Saud, felicitated those who joined the job of foreign service between 2018-2023 BS (May 1961 to April 1966).

Recipients of the felicitation are Sundar Nath Bhattarai, Kedar Bhakta Shrestha, Narsingh Man Singh Pradhan, Purushottam Lal Shrestha, and Dr. Shashi Prasad Bam Malla. Likewise, Badri Prasad Khanal, Govinda Dev Panta, Ram Hari Khadka, Krishna Kumar Subedi, and Shree Krishna Gopal Salike are also among those being honoured.

The MoFA also honoured two foreign affairs professionals – Prakash Kumar Subedi and Ram Singh Thapa – who retired from their job in the last one-year period.

The celebration was made to mark the Nepal Foreign Service (Formation and Classification) Rules, 1961. The MoFA said that May 24 will be celebrated every year as the Foreign Service Day in remembrance of the day when the Foreign Service was legally codified in Nepal.

Addressing the programme, Foreign Minister Saud said that the foreign affairs professionals should work for the achievement of national interest at the policy, knowledge and execution fronts.

"We need to learn from the happenings in our immediate neighbourhood and far away countries. It’s our responsibility to take care of Nepalis abroad and rescue those who are in trouble and in need of help," he stated.

Minister Saud also said that integrity does not come from better facilities, and motivation is the result of dedication and the urge to serve the country and its people.

Chief Secretary, Shankar Das Bairagi, maintained that foreign affairs professionals have been working to achieve the national interest at the international level.

But he said that since the country is facing economic challenges, there are fewer chances of organizational expansion. "We have to work for the wise and maximum utilisation of available resources," he said.

According to him, Nepal is still weak in negotiations at international level so there is a need to enhance capacity in this regard.

Bharat Raj Paudyal, Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the foreign affairs professionals had a lot to contribute to the country's promotion and development.

He also informed that the second edition of Professor Yadu Nath Khanal Lecture Series would be held within a month. The MoFA had launched the series last year in memory of former foreign secretary late Prof. Khanal who contributed to institutionalising the foreign affairs service.

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 25 May 2023.