Dr. Rana terms her Oman visit successful

 Kathmandu, Feb. 20

Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba has said that her visit to Oman to participate in the 8^th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) remained fruitful.

She said she held bilateral meetings with her counterparts from the countries of the region and explored the possibilities of early release of Bipin Joshi, a Nepali youth kept hostage by Hamas.

Talking to journalists at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) upon her arrival in Nepal on Thursday, she said that issues of bilateral cooperation including development such as rebuilding the BP Highway and initiating direct flights to the Gautam Buddha International Airport from various cities of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sri Lanka and Oman were discussed with the ministers of the respective countries.

The IOC held in Muscat of Oman, which focused on exploring new horizons in maritime partnerships, saw the participation of foreign ministers from 40 countries in the Indian Ocean region.

Dr. Rana was invited to the event by Indian External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar and Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Al Busaidi. She left for Oman on February 14.

The Foreign Minister stated that the conference aimed to strengthen global cooperation in maritime affairs and that she delivered a speech representing Nepal. During the event, she also addressed a session focused on amplifying the voice of the Global South.

During her visit, she held bilateral talks with her Indian counterpart, Dr. Jaishankar and met with Omani FM Al Busaidi, as well as Oman’s Minister for Energy and Minerals, and the Minister of Heritage and Tourism.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), she also held sideline meetings with foreign ministers from Iran, the UAE and Sri Lanka, and Japan’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs.

During her meeting with Iran’s Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, FM Dr. Rana urged efforts to secure the release of Nepali student Bipin Joshi kept hostage by the Hamas, she informed.

She also requested Japan’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Fujii Hisayuki for assistance in rebuilding the BP Highway, which was severely damaged by floods in Nepal in September last year.

 Furthermore, she urged the UAE, Sri Lanka, and Oman to initiate direct flights to the GBIA in Bhairahawa.

During the visit, Nepal and Oman signed two separate agreements focusing on diplomatic cooperation and tourism.

Justice to Prakriti

FM Dr. Rana informed that the Nepali government had taken the death of Nepali student Prakriti Lamsal at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Odisha, India, seriously and initiated efforts to resolve it through diplomatic channels.

On Wednesday, she spoke to Odisha’s Higher Education Minister, Suryabanshi Suraj and urged a fair investigation into Lamsal’s death, legal action against those responsible, and a safe academic environment for Nepali students at the university.

“We immediately initiated diplomatic efforts after the incident. While justice for the deceased and action against the culprits remain priorities, we also coordinated with relevant authorities to ensure a safe learning environment for Nepali students," she said.

The university has since apologised and allowed students to return to their hostels, while staff involved in misconduct have been disciplined.

Likewise, the Odisha government has already formed a high-level committee to investigate the student’s death, and Nepal has called for a fair probe and legal action against those responsible. The MoFA of Nepal and the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi are in close contact with the Odisha government and university administration to ensure proper coordination, she said.

Meanwhile, FM Dr. Rana highlighted the challenges in tracking Nepali students abroad due to the lack of comprehensive data. She emphasised the need for a system to maintain records of Nepali citizens overseas to facilitate their assistance during emergencies.

“The Foreign Ministry is often unaware of where Nepali citizens are or their conditions until a problem arises. By then, it becomes difficult to provide immediate assistance due to limited manpower and resources. This is a significant challenge,” she said.

'Make Foreign Employment Dignified'

During her visit to Oman, Minister Dr. Rana directed Nepal's diplomatic missions abroad to work to make foreign employment safer, dignified, reliable and predictable.

Speaking at a virtual meeting participate by the Nepali ambassadors, consul generals, deputy chiefs of mission, labour counsellors/attaches and other official from mission across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, she had stressed the need for all stakeholders to proactively identify and address the challenges faced by Nepali migrant workers.

FM Dr. Rana also underscored the importance of ensuring long-term solutions to make the foreign employment sector more attractive. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 21 February 2025.