Qatari king coming to Nepal tomorrow

Before his visit, more than 50 Qatari representatives will come to Kathmandu for preparations. Qatari Ambassador to Nepal Mishal bin Mohammed Al Ansari said that the homework of the visit is in the final stage.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Emir of Qatar will meet with President Paudel at Sheetal Niwas on Tuesday. On Wednesday, bilateral talks with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and the signing of some agreements and understandings have been scheduled. He will return to Qatar on Wednesday evening. Qatar News Agency stated that the King, who is on a visit to Asian countries, will enhance cooperation with the leaders and senior officials of the respective countries and will sign agreements and memorandums of understanding in various fields.

The Qatari Amir, who flew to the Philippines from Doha last Sunday to visit three Asian countries, is about to come to Nepal via Bangladesh. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Narayankaji Shrestha says, 'Our workers are working in Gulf countries including Qatar. Along with that, efforts will be made to promote cooperation with those countries in the issues of Nepal's economic cooperation.

Nepal and Qatar established diplomatic relations on January 21, 1977. Nepal established an embassy in Qatar's capital Doha on July 11, 2000, while Qatar established its embassy in Kathmandu in August 2011.

In 1998, 20 years after the establishment of diplomatic relations with Qatar, the then Prime Minister of Nepal, Girija Prasad Koirala, visited Qatar. On the part of Qatar, it is about to happen only after 45 years of establishing bilateral relations. Qatar is one of the important destinations for Nepalis for employment. So far, more than 1.7 million Nepali workers have worked in Qatar, while according to government data, 3.5 million Nepali workers are currently employed. As a result, Nepal's relationship with Qatar is considered more important.

Qatar has recently emerged as an important power in West Asia. Qatar is expanding its role as a strategic country in the changing world geopolitical scenario. Recently, Qatar has been playing an important role in mediating and balancing power between the countries of the Gulf region. For Nepal, Qatar has been a major destination for foreign employment for the past decade and a half.

Nepali Ambassador to Qatar Naresh Vikram Dhakal said that it is historic that the Qatari Emir's first visit to Nepal as a head of state from the Arab region is historic. He said, 'This visit has opened the door for heads of state of other Gulf countries to come to Nepal. This visit will expand the relationship between Nepal and Qatari people. It will also encourage the Qatari people to visit Nepal.

43-year-old Amir Tamim Bin is expected to help make a positive contribution to Nepal's long-term development. Ambassador Dhakal says, ``Nepal and Qatar can help develop as strategic development partners. Nepal is preparing to make bilateral agreements in the fields of tourism, hydropower, health, education, sports, labor, culture, etc.' He said, "It is necessary to broaden the relationship between Nepal and Qatar from the limited foreign employment. So far we have been sending only workers. We have not been able to get comparable benefits from Qatar, it is necessary to emphasize on other areas of investment and trade.'

He said that since there is not enough arable land in Qatar, the Qatari company Hasad Food Corporation is investing in agriculture, fruit and animal husbandry by renting land abroad. Informing that Nepal had sent a draft agreement with Hasad Food Corporation a decade ago, Mishra added, "It is necessary to make that agreement. This will bring into use thousands of bighas of unused land in Nepal and create internal employment.

He also suggested 24-hour insurance for Nepali workers working in Qatar. "56 percent of those who died in Qatar due to only insurance for working hours, the families of the deceased had to be deprived of compensation," he said. In addition, he mentioned that the Qatar Investment Authority, which has a fund of billions of dollars, will invest abroad and said that Qatar is investing abroad in order to generate income in the future. He clarified that projects should be given to bring that investment to Nepal.

There have been about a dozen visits from Nepal to Qatar by the then king, prime minister, president, speaker and ministers at different times, but few visits have been made from Qatar. So far, Labor and Social Affairs Minister Abdullah bin Saleh Mubarak Al Khulaifi from Qatar in April 2015, Environment Minister Abdullah bin Mubarak bin Aboud Al Midhadi in April 2012 and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabar Al Thani visited Nepal in April 2012. .

The last time from Nepal, the then President Bidya Devi Bhandari paid a state visit to Qatar from October 30 to November 2, 2018. Before that, the then President Ramwaran Yadav visited Qatar on October 10, 2011, the then Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara in April 2019, and the then King Gyanendra Shah couple visited Qatar in 2005 while participating in the second summit of G-77. Before that, in 1999, then King Birendra made a private visit to Qatar and in 1998, then Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala also made an official visit to Qatar.