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Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who is presently on the five-day official visit to Thailand, beginning on April 1 has said the visit has contributed to taking the bilateral relations to a new height.

Speaking at a joint press conference held after the bilateral meeting between the Prime Minister and his counterpart Paetongtarn Shinawatra today, the Prime Minister expressed his belief with the visit, the level of mutual cooperation between the two countries in the areas of culture, tourism, education and energy will further increase in the days to come.

Highlighting on the 65-year-long diplomatic ties between Nepal and Thailand, Prime Minister Oli said the meeting focused on further expanding the bilateral ties including diplomatic and the people-to-people relations. 

He expressed his hope that Nepal's hospitality business and air services would be the priorities of Thailand for its future investment and trade.  "Nepal and Thailand share deeper agricultural, trade, tourism and cultural relations. I call on the business community in Thailand to invest in Nepal," the Prime Minister said.

"Nepal and Thailand have cordial trade and tourism relations. Now, we will work together on an international agenda including climate change," he added.

He said that Thai Prime Minister Shinawatra has been invited to visit Nepal and it will be implemented soon.

The Prime Minister arrived in Bangkok on Tuesday, leading the 21-member entourage to the Sixth Summit of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multisectoral, Technical and Economic Cooperation. He is the first Prime Minister of Nepal to visit Thailand.

Despite long-standing friendly relations between Nepal and Thailand, the official visit by the Head of Government of Nepal to Thailand had not taken place before.

The then Prime Minister of Thailand Prem Tinsulanonda had visited Nepal in 1983. 

The Prime Minister's entourage includes his spouse Radhika Shakya, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Arzu Rana Deuba, Bishnu Prasad Rimal, the Chief Political Advisor to the Prime Minister, Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada, Chief Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal and Foreign Ministry's Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai among others.

Nepal and Thailand have signed two separate Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) related to tourism and culture.

The MoUs were signed in the presence of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and his Thai counterpart Paetongtran Shinawatra.

PM Oli is currently on an official visit to Thailand.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Arzu Rana Deuba signed on the MoUs on behalf Nepal while Minister of Culture Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol signed the MoU related to culture and Minister of Tourism and Sports Sorawong Thienthong the MoU related to tourism cooperation on behalf of Thailand.

Similarly, various MoUs in the non-government sector and related to health, education, and trade and commerce were signed in the witness of the two Prime Ministers.

PM Oli arrived here on Tuesday in connection with an official visit to Thailand and to participate in the Sixth BIMSTEC Summit, leading a Nepali delegation.

Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) have been signed for undertaking 10 High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs) in Nepal under the grant assistance of Government of India in Education, Health, and Culture Sectors at a total cost of Rs 625 million.

The Embassy of India, Kathmandu and the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, Government of Nepal and Project Implementing Agencies of Government of Nepal signed the MoUs on Tuesday, the Embassy of India, Kathmandu stated in a press release.

These 10 projects include construction of Sanba Secondary School, Mikuwa Khola Rural Municipality, Taplejung, Koshi Province; construction of Ngagyur Nyngma Palyul Dhongag Chholing Monastery, Likhu-Pike Rural Municipality, Solukhumbu, Koshi Province;  construction of Nepal-Bharat Maitri E Library at Shree Rastriya Primary School, Bharatpur Metropolitan City, Chitwan, Bagmati Province;  construction of Health Post Building, Ward-3, Indrawati Rural Municipality, Sindhupalchowk, Bagmati Province; and construction of Health Post Building, Ward-6, Indrawati Rural Municipality, Sindhupalchowk, Bagmati Province.

Similarly, MoUs were also signed for construction of Ninyukharka Secondary School, Dhurkot Rural Municipality, Gulmi, Lumbini Province; construction of Naya Gaun Secondary School Building, Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City, Rupandehi, Lumbini Province; construction of Nepal-Bharat Maitri Hospital Building, Chankheli Rural Municipality, Humla, Karnali Province; construction of Siddhanath Secondary School, Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City, Kailali, Sudurpashchim Province; and construction of Shree Satyavadi Secondary School Admin and  Hostel Buildings, Jayaprithivi Municipality, Bajhang, Sudurpashchim Province.

These HICDPs shall be implemented through Local authorities of Government of Nepal i.e., Metropolitan City, Sub-Metropolitan City, Municipalities and Rural Municipalities, according to the Embassy of India.

The implementation of these projects will help provide better educational, healthcare and cultural facilities to the people of Nepal.

Since 2003, India has taken up over 573 HICDPs in Nepal, including the 10 projects whose MoUs have been signed today, and has completed 495 projects in the areas of education, health, road and bridges, river training, drinking water, electrification,  irrigation, culture, social welfare and creation of other public utilities across all 7 provinces of Nepal at the grassroot level. The remaining projects are ongoing at different stages. 

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who is on an official visit to Thailand, held a meeting with his Thai counterpart Paetongtran Shinawatra on Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, PM Oli's Chief Advisor Bishnu Prasad Rimal, Economic Development Advisor Dr Yub Raj Khatiwada, Chief Secretary Eaknarayan Aryal, Secretary of the Foreign Ministry Amrit Bahadur Rai, among others were also present in the meeting.

Earlier, Prime Minister of Thailand, Shinawatra, welcomed Prime Minister Oli at a government building in Thailand.

According to the Foreign Ministry, an agreement related to collaboration in culture and tourism sectors would be signed after the meeting between the Prime Ministers of the two countries.

Similarly, six different memoranda of understanding would be exchanged between non-governmental and business organizations of the two countries as well as the two prime ministers scheduled to hold a joint press conference.

Likewise, the Prime Minister would participate in a luncheon hosted by his Thai counterpart as well as hold a courtesy meeting with the King of Thailand, Maha Vajiralongkorn, today itself.

He is scheduled to return home on April 5.