Kathmandu, May 3
British Ambassador Rob Fenn and his spouse
Julia Fenn hosted a reception on Friday evening to celebrate the official
birthday of King Charles III, welcoming guests from across the UK-Nepal
relationship.
The event, attended by Vice President of
Nepal, Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav and high dignitaries from the government and
private sector, political leaders as well as diplomatic community, served as a
reminder of the strong and growing friendship between the UK and Nepal, only
months after the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh earlier this year,
the British Embassy said in a statement..
In his remarks, Ambassador Fenn
highlighted key areas of cooperation, including the role of Gurkhas,
educational ties, investment partnerships, and development collaboration. He
expressed appreciation for the longstanding goodwill shown by the people of Nepal
and emphasised that the UK remains a close and committed partner.
Ambassador Fenn shared a metaphor
comparing the UK and Nepal to trekking partners who had reached a fork in the
trail. He noted that Nepal had chosen the steeper, more rewarding path toward
long-term prosperity through reforms and international finance. He cited key
milestones, including Nepal’s first sovereign credit rating, the issuance of
its first green bond, and support from British International Investment.
Likewise, he also noted several priorities
going forward. On the national budget, he urged Nepal to better use the
resources it already has to strengthen its case for international support. On
concessional loans, he encouraged the government to tap into available funds from
institutions like the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.
Similarly, on education, he promoted
transnational education partnerships to keep more students in Nepal. On the
diaspora, he called for recognition of UK qualifications to encourage skilled
Nepalis abroad to return and contribute.
However, he stressed that reforms,
especially on profit repatriation, are essential for building investor
confidence.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 4 May 2025.
No comments:
Post a Comment