Ties with India, China equally exclusive: PM

KATHMANDU, July 27: Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has said that Nepal´s foreign policy is still guided by the age-old policy of "friendship to all and enmity to none." The PM said Nepal´s relations with both India and China are equally "exclusive and cooperative" and the country´s bilateral and multilateral relations with the outside world will be determined by the "changing realities" of international relations and the need to forge new partnerships. [break]



Addressing a gathering of diplomats, political analysts, journalists and think-tankers at a program organized to mark the 62nd anniversary of the Nepal Council for World Affairs (NCWA) Monday, the PM said that his government will prioritize trade, tourism and foreign employment as key features of Nepal´s foreign policy. "It is with a view to extend Nepal´s relation with other countries of the world that four new embassies -- in Canada, South Africa, Kuwait and Brazil -- are going to be set up soon," the PM said.



Claiming that the law and order situation has actually "improved " after the new government took over, the PM said, "Security sector is the top priority of my government." He further said that he has issued "strict instructions" to government officials to mobilize doctors and send medicines to the cholera and diarrhea-affected mid-western and far-western regions.



Moreover, the PM said that Nepal´s role in promoting the SAARC agenda and its participation in other multilateral forums such as the recently concluded NAM summit will give the country an opportunity to popularize its own agenda of development, peace and democracy.



Stating that there is "no alternative to forging unity" in the crucial transition period, he said, "I am trying my best to build consensus and cooperation among the major political actors to take the peace process to its logical end."



The PM also added that the state will work to create a conducive atmosphere for Non-Resident Nepalis to invest further in Nepal.



Also speaking on the occasion, Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala said that although the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord brought the peace process on track, "there is much more to be achieved."



Tika Jung Thapa, president of NCWA, laid stress on peace, normalcy and stability as factors for development, while Ramesh Singh, NCWA general secretary, pointed to the financial constraints faced by NCWA and other think tanks.



NCWA is a well-known think tank operating in Nepal and has contributed immensely towards the formulation and implementation of Nepal´s foreign policy.

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