KATHMANDU, Oct 8: Prime Minister Sushila Karki on Wednesday held a virtual meeting with the chiefs of 44 Nepali diplomatic missions abroad and issued directives mainly on five key areas, ranging from election preparations to tourism promotion and service delivery.
According to Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lok Bahadur Paudel Chhetri, the meeting was called in response to the changing political context in Nepal following the recent Gen Z protests. “The Prime Minister issued instructions to the mission heads in light of the changed political situation after the Gen Z protests,” Chhetri said.
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The Prime Minister’s first directive was to brief host countries about the aspirations and demands of the Gen Z generation. Her second directive concerned the upcoming House of Representatives (HoR) elections scheduled for March 5. She urged missions to solicit necessary support and goodwill for the smooth conduct of the elections, including facilitating international observers.
The third directive focused on ensuring participation of Nepalis living abroad in the elections. Missions were asked to study possible mechanisms for diaspora voting and report back to the ministry.
On reconstruction, Karki issued her fourth directive, calling on missions to encourage both Nepalis and foreigners abroad to contribute to the government’s Reconstruction Fund established for rebuilding properties damaged during the protests. The fifth directive focused on tourism promotion. Hotel bookings in Nepal, which stood at 70 percent last October, dropped to 30 percent this year due to the impact of the protests.
Prime Minister Karki urged missions to spread the message internationally that Nepal is open and safe, and to encourage people to travel. “Prime Minister Karki also directed the heads of the missions to improve service delivery at Nepali missions, ensuring transparency and efficiency,” said Chhetri.
