Sideline talks by Tourism Minister in Delhi: Initiative to operate air services between various cities of Nepal-India

On Thursday, Minister Pandey discussed with Indian Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu during the sideline meeting of the Second Ministerial Conference of the Asia-Pacific Region of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) held from Wednesday in New Delhi, India. During the

meeting, Minister Pandey requested to mobilize the necessary mechanisms for direct flights between Nepal and India and direct regional and international flights from various cities of Nepal and India as there are three international flights in operation including Pokhara and Gautam Budh International Airports which are currently in operation in Nepal.

Minister Pandey recalled that Pokhara is developing as the tourist capital of Nepal and after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Muktinath in the past, now a large number of Indian religious tourists have started visiting Muktinath and pointed out that Indian airlines should be encouraged to fly directly to Pokhara International Airport from various cities in India. .

Minister Pandey met India's Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shikhawat in New Delhi on Wednesday. In that meeting, Minister Pandey requested the Indian side to have direct flights from Indian cities to Pokhara and Gautam Budh International Airports.

During this, the Indian Minister of Culture and Tourism Shikhawat emphasized that the cultural and civilizational contact between the two countries can be further strengthened through the establishment of effective communication between Nepal and India and easy movement. In the

meeting, in the past, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Ministers of Culture and Tourism of the two countries on strengthening cultural relations, and now that it has expired, it was discussed about renewing it with further amendments. During the

meeting, Minister Pandey also reminded about the exchange of cultural and academic knowledge between Nepal and India, such as Natya Pratishtan Kala Pratishthan.

Since resources related to humanitarian and cultural issues between India and Nepal are somehow connected with each other, Minister Pandey's Secretariat said that there was a discussion between the Culture Ministers of both countries on the issue of further research and strengthening of relations.

Minister Pandey also met South Korea's Deputy Minister of Civil Aviation, Land and Infrastructure Jo Jong-on on Thursday. In the meeting, the Nepal Airlines Corporation's aircraft flying directly to Korea and other issues were discussed. Minister Pandey also had a bilateral meeting with Vietnam's Deputy Minister of Transport Lee Anh Thuan.

Minister Pandey also met with Minister of State for Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Konosuki Kokuba of Japan. On the occasion of the meeting, the two countries discussed issues such as civil aviation, tourism, infrastructure development, education, health and human resource development, etc. to increase cooperation.