KATHMANDU, August 10: The newly-appointed Ambassador of Pakistan to Nepal, Abrar Hashmi, has said that he will make efforts to revive all existing bilateral mechanisms between Nepal and Pakistan in order to strengthen the friendly relations that exist between the two South Asian nations.

Speaking to a group of journalists at his office on the eve of Pakistan’s Independence Day in Kathmandu, Ambassador Hashmi expressed his commitment to reviving a political mechanism that is already in place between Nepal and Pakistan. He also mentioned that other mechanisms put in place since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1960 will be activated in due course for the benefit of both countries and their peoples.

Ambassador Hashmi also emphasized the importance of high-level political exchanges between the two countries. In this context, National Assembly Chairman Ganesh Prasad Timilsina is scheduled to visit Pakistan at the invitation of his Pakistani counterpart within the next few months.

Hashmi called on Chairman Timilsina on Wednesday and presented him with an invitation to visit Pakistan on behalf of the Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan Sadiq Sanjrani. “I have handed over the invitation to visit Pakistan to the Speaker of the National Assembly on behalf of Senate Chairman Sanjrani. The date of the visit has not been decided yet,” he stated.

On the occasion, Ambassador Hashmi also highlighted areas of cooperation that Nepal and Pakistan can both benefit from. Trade of high-value products such as tea and cardamom, tourism, educational and technical collaboration, IT-enabled services, and the Hindu-Buddhist heritage are some of the areas where Nepal and Pakistan can enhance their relations. He also mentioned that sports, culture, and handicrafts are other areas that can be explored to enhance bilateral relations between the two countries.

Ambassador Hashmi pointed out that Nepal and Pakistan share the same concerns and challenges posed by climate change, as they are disproportionately impacted by its effects. “We have an opportunity to work together to mitigate the impacts of climate change,” he said, while advocating that Nepal and Pakistan should collaborate at the regional and multilateral levels.

Ambassador Hashmi mentioned that both Nepal and Pakistan are interested in starting a direct air service between the two countries, and initiatives are being undertaken towards that goal. "When I came to Nepal and met with the President, Vice President, Minister of Finance, and Speaker of the National Assembly, their desire was also to operate direct air services between the two countries," he said.

 
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