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UAE, Nepal sign MoU

ABU DHABI - Nepal and the UAE signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Wednesday to establish a Joint Committee for Cooperation to enhance bilateral relations in various fields for meeting the common objectives of the two countries.

The UAE is the first country in the Gulf with whom Nepal has signed such an MoU to establish a Joint Committee, which is aimed to add a new dimension to overall relations between Nepal and the UAE.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Mohammed Anwar Gargash signed the MoU on behalf of the UAE Government with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal, 
Sujata Koirala.

Under the MoU, they will establish a Joint Committee for Cooperation between the Government of Nepal and the Government of the UAE. Koirala arrived the UAE along with a five-member delegation on June 22 and will leave for Nepal today.

The MoU will further strengthen the existing ties between the two countries to build and promote the bilateral relations in various fields for meeting the common objectives of the two friendly countries, Koirala said in a statement to Khaleej Times from Nepal embassy in the capital.

“It is believed that the Committee will be a good basis for strengthening the ties in economic and commercial fields and launching joint investment projects to supporting cooperation in the judicial, education, training, information, cultural, sportive and environmental fields, and to facilitating exchange of data and experience and holding bilateral discussions for cooperation between the two countries,” Koirala said.

The annual meetings of the Committee will be chaired by the Foreign Ministers of the two countries or their representatives.

She also held discussions on a whole gamut of issues between the two countries ranging from economic cooperation, joint venture projects and opening of a consulate of the UAE in Kathmandu to facilitate labour, employment, trade and commerce.

Talking to Khaleej Times, Nepalese ambassador to the UAE, Arjun Bahadur Thapa said, other possible areas of extending cooperation include financial assistance. The two sides also discussed matters regarding their common views and mutual interests in various international fora, Thapa said.

Koirala also held a meeting with the Chairman and other senior officials of the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry as a MoU was signed on April 27 in Fujairah with (UAE-FCCI) and Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) for promotion of bilateral trade and commerce in private and government sectors.

Koirala informed them on investment-friendly legislative and administrative policies of the Government of Nepal, as a member of Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) and World Trade Organisation (WTO), to create a conducive and investment-friendly environment for the foreign investors to invest in Nepal.

She urged the UAE to take advantage of such a good opportunity. The UAE Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry took it positively and has shown interest in making investment in Nepal, in statement she said.

Koirala was very happy with the success of the visit and appreciated the UAE Government for the warm invitation and generous hospitality and invited UAE officials to Nepal Tourism in 2011.

anwar@khaleejtimes.com