KATHMANDU, July 30: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Jeevan Ram Shrestha has asked the European Union (EU) to remove Nepali aircrafts from its blacklist.
During a meeting with Non-Resident Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Nepal Adam Burakowski, who paid a courtesy call on the Minister at the latter's office on Friday, Minister Shrestha argued that EU should not put Nepal on the flight safety list as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has already removed Nepal from its Significant Security Concerns list.
Efforts on to remove Nepal aviation from EU blacklist: Minister...
Minister Shrestha said that Nepali aircrafts should be allowed to operate direct flights to European destinations as the ICAO already stated that Nepal's aviation and sky were safe as per its indicators, according to his Personal Secretariat.
The meeting also focused on mutual relations and interests between Nepal and Poland. Minister Shrestha stressed the need for further consolidating relations between the two countries.
Also discussed during the meeting were the ways to revive COVID-19 affected tourism of Nepal, and the visa and immigration process for Nepali citizens aspiring to go to Poland for jobs and further education and for Polish citizens returning home from Nepal.
In response, Ambassador Burakowski said preparations were underway to organize an event in Nepal in coming October in memory of a Polish climber Wanda Rutkiewicz who had gone missing during the ascent of Kanchenjunga Mountain in 1992.
Others present on the occasion were the Officiating Secretary Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane, Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority, Pradeep Adhikari, and Consul General of the Republic of Poland to Nepal, Lokmanya Golchha.