Chief Patron: Hon. Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat, Inside this Issue Minister for Foreign Affairs A. Bilateral Affairs Patron: Mr. Shanker Das Bairagi, B. Multilateral Affairs Foreign Secretary C. Regional Affairs Editorial Team D. Passport and Consular Mr. Mani Prasad Bhattarai, Activities Joint Secretary Dr. Damaru Ballabha Paudel, Under Secretary 3. State Visit of the Rt. Hon'ble Prime Minister to A. Bilateral Affairs India Rt. Hon'ble Prime Minister Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal 1. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home 'Prachanda' paid a State Visit to India on 15-18 September Affairs visits India 2016 at the invitation of H. E. Prime Minister of India Hon'ble Mr. Bimalendra Nidhi, Deputy Prime Shri Narendra Modi. During the visit, he called on the Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, visited India on President of India H. E. Shri Pranab Mukherjee. The Rt. 18-22 August 2016 as the special representative of Rt. Hon’ble Prime Minister of Nepal and H. E. the Prime Hon'ble Prime Minister Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal Minister of India held bilateral talks. During the meeting, 'Prachanda'. During the visit, he called on the President of the two Prime Ministers discussed various aspects of India H. E. Shri Pranab Mukherjee, and the Prime Nepal-India relations and cooperation in different areas Minister of India H. E. Shri Narendra Modi. He also met including water resources, infrastructure, trade and transit, with Minister of External Affairs of India, H. E. Smt. among others. Ministers of the Government of India – H. Sushma Swaraj and Minister of Home Affairs of India, E. Smt. Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs, H. H.E. Shri Rajnath Singh. He held discussions on further E. Mr. Rajnath Singh, Minister of Home Affairs, H. E. strengthening and deepening relations between Nepal and Shri Arun Jaitley, Minister of Finance, and H. E. Shri India including through the exchange of high level visits. Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of New & Renewable Energy, Mines, Power, Coal, paid 2. Minister for Foreign Affairs visits India separate calls on the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister. Hon'ble Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat, Minister for Rt. Hon'ble Prime Minister also addressed a Foreign Affairs, visited India on 11-13 September 2016. joint business event hosted by ASSOCHAM, CII During the visit, he met with Minister of External Affairs and FICCI and visited Nathpa Jhakri hydro-electric of India, H. E. Smt. Sushma Swaraj. The two leaders held power project in Himanchal Pradesh and the Food extensive discussions on various matters of bilateral and Herbal Park at the Patanjali Yogpeeth near relations including the need for expeditious Haridwar. implementation of all agreed and ongoing projects under Nepal-India cooperation. They also discussed the agenda 4. Delegation of Parliamentary Committee on for the imminent State Visit of Rt. Hon'ble Prime Minister Legislation visits India of Nepal to India. The Hon’ble Foreign Minister also met A delegation of Parliamentary Committee on H. E. Sushri Uma Bharti, Minister for Water Resources, Legislation visited India on 21-30 August 2016. The River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, as well as delegation had interactions at the Indian Law Institute, His Excellency Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State National Human Rights Council of India, National Law (Independent Charge) for Power, Coal, New & School and Ministry of Law and Justice. The delegation Renewable Energy and Mines. During the meetings, also visited the Supreme Court of India, and High Courts various issues of bilateral cooperation on water and of New Delhi and Karnataka. energy were discussed. 2 MOFA BULLETIN Current Affairs 5. Nepal-India Home Secretary Level Meeting Envoy of Rt. Hon. Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', Prime Minister of Nepal. During the meeting with H.E. Nepal-India Home Secretary Level Meeting was held Wang Yi, Foreign Minister of China, the Deputy Prime in New Delhi on 8-9 September 2016. Nepali delegation Minister on 16 August 2016 handed over the invitation was led by Mr. Lok Darshan Regmi, Secretary at Ministry letters from the Rt. Hon. President and Rt. Hon. Prime of Home Affairs and the Indian delegation was led by Mr. Minister of Nepal to their Chinese counterparts to visit Rajiv Mehrishi, Secretary at Ministry of Home Affairs of Nepal. The two leaders shared their views on various India. The meeting held discussions on the comprehensive aspects of Nepal-China relations as well as in the matters issues related to security, border management, of regional and global concerns. The Deputy Prime strengthening border infrastructure, Hulaki road Minister also paid a courtesy call on H.E. Mr. Li construction, inundation at border areas, and training and Kequiang, Premier of the State Council of the People's capacity building of law enforcement officials. Republic of China in Beijing on 17 August 2016. 6. Nepal-India Joint Agriculture Working Group Meeting The sixth Meeting of the Joint Working Group on Agriculture (JAWG) between Nepal and India was held in New Delhi on 8-9 September 2016. Nepali delegation was led by Dr. Suroj Pokhrel, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture Development, and the Indian delegation was led by Shri Amitabh Gautam, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Government of India. The meeting deliberated on issues related to agricultural co-operation between Nepal and India including soil health management, organic farming, micro irrigation system, agricultural mechanization, seed technologies, strengthening laboratory facilities and germplasm exchange. Hon. Mr. Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Deputy Prime Minister and 7. Survey Officials' Committee Meeting Minister for Finance of Nepal and H.E. Wang Yi, Foreign Minister of People's Republic of China The fifth meeting of the Survey Official's Committee was held in Dehradun, India on 28-30 September 2016. 11. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Japan paid visit to Nepal The Nepali Delegation was led by Mr. Suresh Man Shrestha, Deputy Director General, Department of Survey At the invitation of the Government of Nepal, H.E. and the Indian delegation was led by Mr. R. K. Meena, Mr. Nobuo Kishi, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Director, Survey of India. The meeting held discussions Japan paid a visit to Nepal from 30 August to 1 on the technicalities of the border pillar construction and September 2016 leading a Japanese delegation to attend mapping along with the composition and schedule of the the commemorative programme organized by the border pillar construction during the field season of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Nepal to 2016/17. celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and Japan. 8. Rescue of 18 Nepali women from Sri Lanka In August 2016, Embassy of Nepal in Colombo coordinated the rescue and repatriation of 18 Nepali women, who were reportedly being trafficked to third countries, and were stranded in Sri Lanka. 9. Rescue of 46 Nepali citizens from Dhaka Embassy of Nepal in Dhaka rescued 46 Nepali citizens on 5 August 2016 and coordinated their safe return to Nepal. They had entered Bangladesh reportedly for business purpose. Their passports were seized by a Bangladeshi national. 10. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Hon. Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Visited Beijing Nepal and H.E. Mr. Nobuo Kishi, Minister of State for Foreign Hon. Mr. Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Deputy Prime Affairs of Japan Minister and Minister for Finance visited the People's Republic of China from 15-20 August 2016 as the Special 3 MOFA BULLETIN Current Affairs During the stay in Nepal, the State Minister paid a courtesy call on the Rt. Hon. Mrs. Bidya Devi Bhandari, President of Nepal and also called on the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda', the Prime Minister of Nepal on 31 August 2016. On the occasion, Rt. Hon. Prime Minister handed over his congratulatory message addressed to the Prime Minister of Japan H.E. Mr. Shinzo Abe on the happy occasion of the Diamond Jubilee of the Diplomatic Relations, and the State Minister also handed over the message of the Prime Minister of Japan to the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister. The State Minister also called on the Hon. Mr. Prakash Sharan Mahat, Minister for Foreign Commemorative Programme to celebrate the 60th Affairs. During the meeting, all the matters of bilateral anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations cooperation and mutual interests were reviewed. The two between Nepal and Japan sides also shared views on how these relations could be H.E. Mr. Nobuo Kishi, Minister of State for Foreign taken forward by seizing the opportunities available in Affairs of Japan addressed the program by stating that both countries. Hon. Dr. Mahat appreciated the Japan and Nepal have enjoyed excellent relations. The unconditional support of the Government of Japan to the support in the socio-economic development of Nepal socio-economic development of Nepal. The State would be continued from Japan assured the State Minister Minister handed over the congratulatory message of H.E. of Foreign Affairs. Hon. Mr. Surendra Kumar Karki, Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Minister for Information and Communications of Nepal addressed to Hon. Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat on his and H.E. Mr. Nobuo Kishi, Minister of State for Foreign appointment as the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal. Affairs of Japan jointly affixed the cancelation marks on On the same day, the State Minister witnessed the the special commemorative cover published by the Postal signing ceremony of the Exchange of Notes of the Grant Services Department of the Government of Nepal on the Aid under Japan Overseas Development Assistance for occasion. A group of prominent Nepali artists from two new projects- Improvement of Aviation Safety Cultural Corporation of Nepal and Japanese Drum Troops Facilities in Major Airports of Nepal, and School Sector from Akafuji Daiko presented impressive shows featuring Development Program to the sum of approx.