833,476 passports issued in a year

 Kathmandu, July 12: 

In the last Fiscal Year 2021/22, Nepal issued 833,476 passports, including 1119 official, 344 diplomatic and 12 service passports. That year, the Department of Passports distributed 129 travel documents as well, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) informed in its annual report for the FY 2021/22 published on Wednesday. 

Likewise, the Department of Consular Services attested 413,534 documents, issued 709 visa recommendations, and granted 4246 diplomatic exemptions. The year saw the labour permits and renewals of 630,089 persons while Nepal signed bilateral agreement with 11 labour destination countries. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and Kuwait remained the top five overseas labour destinations. 

The MoFA informed in the report that it launched annual Professor Yadu Nath Khanal Lecture Series, started commemorating Foreign Service Day on 24 May, and held annual interaction progamme on Nepal’s Foreign Policy and Economy Diplomacy. 

Similarly, Nepal established diplomatic relations with additional six countries – Timor-Leste, Barbados, Palau, South Sudan, Belize, Trinidad and Tobago – bringing the total number to 177. 

FY 2021/22 also marked the 75th anniversary of Nepal-India and Nepal-USA relations, 50th anniversary of Nepal-Bangladesh and Nepal-Kuwait relations, 45th anniversary of Nepal-Bahrain relations and 60th anniversary of Nepal-Turkey relations. 

According to the report, major high-level visits that year were President Bidya Devi Bhandari’s address to the Boao Forum for Asia 2022, official visit to India by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Official visit of Lumbini by Indian PM Narendra Modi, PM Deuba’s visit to the United Kingdom to participate in the World Leaders Summit of the COP26, Nepal’s Foreign Minister Dr. Narayan Khadka’s participation in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum and Bali Democracy Forum. 

Likewise, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, and Director General of the World Health Organisation, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus visited Nepal that year. Bilateral consultations or joint commission meetings with China, South Korea, South Africa, the European Union, Finland, Norway, Switzerland and Thailand were also held. 

Meanwhile, the country ratified the compact programme to Nepal by the US agency Millennium Challenge Corporation, issued a joint vision statement on Power Sector Cooperation with India, signed a 

memorandum of understanding with India to supply urea and DAP to Nepal, formed bilateral committee with the UK for the talks on the grievances of the Gurkha veterans. That year Nepal became the second largest troops and police contributing country in the UN peacekeeping programmes. 

Secretary of the MoFA, Bharat Raj Paudyal, said that the ministry and its diplomatic missions extended consular assistance to many Nepali nationals who were in need of help and support. 

“We successfully rescued our nationals stranded in Afghanistan after the new political developments in that country. In January 2022, the government sent a chartered aircraft with humanitarian relief materials as a goodwill gesture of the people of Nepal to the Afghan people,” he said in the report. 

According to him, the MoFA rescued our nationals in Ukraine and brought them to safety during the unfolding crisis in that country. Around 700 such Nepalis were rescued to safety in nearby countries, including Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Spain, Germany, Romania, and Moldova, and they were extended necessary assistance for repatriation. 

In that year, the MoFA launched the e-Passport (eMRTD). 

Minister for Foreign Affairs, N. P. Saud, said that the world today is increasingly facing new issues and challenges demanding dexterity in handling diplomatic affairs. 

“Nepal is cognizant of the changing dynamics of international politics and geo-economics landscapes in the region and world at large. 

Thus, our diplomatic efforts take into account these changes and endeavour to better serve our national interests,” he said in the report. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 13 July 2023.