Qatar’s Sheikh Tamim and Nepal’s President Ram Chandra Paudel discussed Doha and Kathmandu’s ties.
Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani praised the Nepalese community in Doha during his trip to Kathmandu on Tuesday, the first Arab leader to visit the South Asian country.
“His Highness praised the Nepalese community residing in the State of Qatar and its contribution to the development of several fields in the country,” the Amiri Diwan said in a statement.
Sheikh Tamim had landed in Nepal on Tuesday, marking the last stop of his Asian tour that included the Philippines and Bangladesh.
Nepal decorated its streets to mark the occasion as the government declared a public holiday on the day of the Amir’s arrival.
Sheikh Tamim received a warm welcome from Nepal’s President Ram Chandra Paudel as 21 artillery shots were fired to welcome him.
The two leaders discussed Doha and Kathmandu’s ties, where the latter praised the Amir for being the first Arab leader in his country.
The Qatari leader also “expressed his deep thanks” to the Nepalese president “for the warm reception and hospitality,” the Amiri Diwan added in the statement.
He noted that “his visit reflects the importance of the distinguished relations that bring together the two countries.
“During the meeting, the two sides also discussed aspects of cooperation between the two friendly countries, ways to enhance and develop them, and discussed the most prominent regional and international issues of common interest,” the Amiri Diwan added.
Speaking to Doha’s state news agency (QNA) on Tuesday, Qatar’s ambassador to Nepal Mishaal bin Mohammad Ali Al Ansari said the Amir’s visit is set to “take the relations between the two countries to broader horizons.”
Separately, Nepal’s president told QNA that Sheikh Tamim is a “visionary leader” who led the Gulf country’s “enormous progress.”
He also hailed the labour reforms in Doha, which he said “have largely benefitted” Nepalese workers.
Agreements and MoU’s
On Wednesday, both countries signed two agreements and several memoranda of understanding, the Amiri Diwan announced.
One agreement covered cooperation and news exchange between QNA and the Nepalese National News Agency, whereas the second was on establishing a joint business council between the Qatar Chamber and the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce.
As for the memoranda, one covered cooperation in the field of education, higher education and scientific research. Another entailed cooperation between Qatar’s Public Prosecution and Nepal’s Office of the Attorney General.
A third was regarding cooperation in the field of youth and sports, a fourth was on the field of culture and arts between Qatar’s Ministry of Culture and Nepal’s Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.
The fifth MoU was on cooperation in the field of diplomatic training and education between Qatar’s Diplomatic Institute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Nepal’s Institute of Foreign Affairs.
Both sides also renewed one MoU between the Qatar Chamber and the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce.
Qatar-Nepal ties
Qatar and Nepal’s ties date back to 1977, with about 400,000 Nepalese working and living in the Gulf country. Both countries have shared an air service agreement since 2002.
In 2005, Qatar and Nepal signed an agreement over the protection and promotion of the interests of the workers in Doha. The agreement included additional protocol in 2008.
Workers from Nepal have also played a crucial role in the 2022 FIFA World Cup preparations through their years-long efforts in the construction sector.
Since 2019, Kathmandu has hosted a Qatari Visa Center to facilitate measures to bring Nepalese workers to Doha.
Speaking to QNA on Saturday, the chairperson of the Qatar Chamber, Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al-Thani, said the amir’s visit to Kathmandu “would open new prospects for the existing bilateral cooperation, pushing forward the trade and investment exchange and cooperation.”
“The bilateral trade exchange is still at modest levels despite the two sides’ cooperation under bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding across multiple sectors such as agriculture, food security, tourism, and others,” Sheikh Khalifa said.
“There is a common desire to step up the trade volume by ramping up mutual investments and stimulating the private sector in the two countries to build trade alliances and partnerships,” he noted.
Nepal’s ambassador to Qatar Naresh Bikram Dhakal told QNA on Tuesday that trade, investment, energy, tourism, information technology, and infrastructure development are areas of priority for both sides.
Kathmandu’s main exports to Doha include cloth, magnetic storage discs, and vegetables among others. Nepal’s main imports from the Gulf country include polyethene, polypropylene, and food products.
Nepal is also known for its environmental richness, with many Qatari climbers often heading to the country to summit Mount Everest.
Investments aside, Doha also led major developmental and humanitarian projects in Nepal, with aid from the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) amounting to (around $4.5 million).
QFFD had provided Nepal with vital COVID-19 assistance in the wake of the pandemic with medical equipment worth around QAR 7 million ($1.9 million).
The Qatari entity also implemented educational projects that benefited at least 159,211 out-of-school children globally, including in Nepal.