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US, Ukrainian, and Turkish officials met Friday at the Dolmabahce Presidential Office in Istanbul ahead of upcoming Russia-Ukraine peace talks.

The US delegation included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Ambassador Tom Barrack, and Special Representative Keith Kellogg. Ukraine was represented by Andriy Yermak, Rustem Umerov, and Andrii Sybiha. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan chaired the meeting, joined by intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalin, as reported by Associated Press.

A follow-up session with Russian, Ukrainian, and Turkish delegations is scheduled, led by Russian Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky. It marks the first direct Ukraine-Russia contact since March 2022.

President Ram Chandra Paudel has said that the art, culture and tradition of the Muslim community have its own uniqueness in Nepal with multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural characteristics.

He expressed this view while extending best wishes to those who are leaving for Hajj pilgrimage this year to Mecca, during a welcoming ceremony organised at the President House, Shital Niwas this morning.

"In our country, which has diverse ethnicities, communities, languages, and cultures, it is essential for everyone to unite and work together for its preservation and enhancement, and through this, to strengthen national unity by increasing brotherhood, friendship, and goodwill among each other. I express my best wishes for the success of your Hajj journey with the belief that the pilgrimage will make a significant contribution to it," he said.

The President stated that this community has had a significant contribution to the formation of the Nepali state since ancient times.

"I believe that the relevant authorities will definitely pay attention to providing all kinds of facilities for the convenience of the people who are going on Hajj pilgrimage espousing sacred faith and belief. I would like to draw the attention of the stakeholders to the need to formulate timely policies, rules, and provisions to operate the pilgrimage in an organized manner," said President Paudel.

On that occasion, the President wished the pilgrims by handing them a scarf and a Nepali cap.

The Acting Chairperson of the Muslim Commission, Mohamuddin Miyan, said that it is a matter of pride that for the first time the President has personally bid farewell to the Hajj pilgrims.

Honourable Ministers,
Esteemed Guests,
Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning and Namaste!

It is both a deep honour and a heartfelt privilege to welcome you to the inaugural edition of the Sagarmatha Sambaad.

This is Nepal’s global dialogue initiative—
A platform for thoughtful reflection,
For principled engagement,
And for addressing the most urgent challenges of our time.

Today, the line between local and global has all but vanished.
What happens in one corner of the world echoes across the rest.

The fire that rage in one land darkens the skies of others
The melting of distant glaciers shifts the rains, floods the fields, and parches the plains far away.

The decisions of a few can shape the destiny of many.

It is within this deeply interconnected reality that the Sagarmatha Sambaad was born—

A space for honest dialogue.
For shared wisdom.
For collective action.

We have named it after Sagarmatha—the highest point on Earth.
And we hope this Sambaad— our dialogue— will rise just as high.

High in moral clarity.
Bold in intellectual courage.
Steady in our shared vision for a better world.

Today, the world stands before towering, metaphorical mountains.
Challenges loom—vast and urgent.

The recovery from the pandemic is still fragile.
The climate crisis is speeding up.
In many corners of the world, peace feels more distant than ever.

Trust in global institutions is weakening.
Inequalities—within countries and across borders—are growing deeper.
Multilateralism, once a guiding light, now sways under heavy storms.

And yet—
Amidst this uncertainty, we hold on to a simple, powerful belief:
The power of dialogue.

Nepal is not just a piece of geography.
It is a sacred land—where wisdom breathes through every stone and stream.
Here, the spirit of awakening was born.

This is the land of Lord Buddha.
From this soil, a light emerged—guiding humanity toward peace, compassion, and harmony.

It is a soil where sages meditated.
Where seekers found truth.
Where rishis offered the world a wealth of knowledge that still uplifts the human soul.

Nepal has always been a place of seekers.
Not of conquerors, but of contemplators.
Not of battles, but of dialogue.

Our tradition is rooted in listening—with respect.
In speaking—with sincerity.
And in seeking truth—together.

Sagarmatha Sambaad is born from that very spirit.
It is a gentle revival of our ancient ways.
A space where wisdom bows to humility.
Where many voices come together—with reverence.
Where we look for answers—not with ego, but with empathy.

We are reminded of an ancient truth:
"वादे वादे जायते तत्वबोधः"
—Through dialogue, truth shines.

Even in moments of deep division, it is not silence or shouting that helps us.
It is honest conversation.
It is listening.
It is speaking from the heart.

Sagarmatha Sambaad is our humble attempt to carry this sacred legacy forward.

Our first theme speaks to our soul:
"Climate Change, Mountains, and the Future of Humanity."

As a Himalayan nation, this is not a distant issue.
It is our daily reality.
But it is not just ours.
It is the world’s.

Can humanity survive without its mountains?
Can we protect the future without protecting these ancient guardians?

Mountains may seem far away.
But their breath keeps half the world alive.
From the Arctic to the Andes, from the Alps to the Himalayas—
They are the Earth’s water towers.
They are our climate’s pulse.

And they are in danger.
Their fragility is our shared vulnerability.

From the lap of Sagarmatha, the world’s highest peak,
We send this message—laud and clear:

• To protect the mountains is to protect the planet.
• To protect the mountains is to protect our seas.
• To protect the mountains is to protect humanity itself.

Let this Sambaad be not just a dialogue—but a determination.

A determination to listen.
To act.
And to walk together—towards a gentler, wiser, and more compassionate world.

Climate change is no longer a distant threat.
It is the greatest challenge of our time.
It touches everything—our planet, our people, our shared prosperity.

No nation is untouched.
No society is safe.
But the heaviest burden falls on those least responsible.

The poorest.
The most vulnerable.
The mountainous and the least developed.

Nepal stands among them.

We have done little to cause this crisis.
Yet, we face its harshest consequences.

Glaciers are melting.
Rains are uncertain.
Landslides sweep away homes.
Floods and droughts come without warning.
And still, we stand firm.

Our emissions are small—almost negligible.
But our contributions are meaningful.

Our Himalaya cool the region—nature’s own climate stabilizer.
Our forests cover nearly half our land—breathing in carbon, breathing out hope.
Our rivers flow from the high snows—quenching the thirst of millions.
Our protected areas are sanctuaries—guarding the planet’s rich biodiversity.

Nepal has pledged net-zero emissions by 2045.
Five years ahead of the global target.

We are advancing adaptation plans.
We are greening our economy.
We are weaving sustainability into our national vision.

Yet we cannot do it alone.
No country can.

Climate change is a global emergency.
It calls for a global response.

A response anchored in justice.
Rooted in responsibility.
Fuelled by solidarity.

Climate justice must lead the way.
Those who pollute the most— must do the most.
They must support the most vulnerable—with finance, with technology, with capacity.

And let us not forget the mountains.
Too often, they are ignored in global talks.
Yet, they regulate climate.
They store water.

They recharge the land
They cradle life.

When mountains fall, valleys suffer.
Rivers dry up.
Crops fail.
Oceans rise.
Lives unravel.

The Himalaya—our Third Pole—are warming faster than the global average.
Glaciers are vanishing.
Glacial lakes are swelling.
Millions downstream are at risk.

We need a bold, integrated vision.
A "mountains-to-oceans" approach.

We must give mountains the attention they deserve—
With special financing.
With tailored policies.

We must invest in clean energy.
Grow climate-resilient crops.
Uplift women and youth.
And protect those forced to move.

Let us strengthen risk assessments.
Build early warning systems.
Share data.
Work together across borders.

And most importantly—let us bridge ancient wisdom with modern innovation.

This is how we build resilience.
This is how we honour the Earth.
This is how we protect our shared future.

The mountains inspire us.
Not because they stand apart—
But because they rise above.

They offer perspective.
They teach us to think beyond ourselves.
In that spirit, our dialogue must rise too—

Above narrow interests.
Toward a higher, shared purpose.

Let us join hands.
Let us act with courage and care.
For a future that is just.
For a planet that is sustainable.

We need fresh resolve.
Bold ideas.
New investments.
And deep cooperation—across regions, across the world.

A green, resilient, and sustainable future is not a choice.
It is the only path forward.

Sagarmatha Sambaad is our humble offering.
A global platform to listen, to speak, and to understand.
A space to build trust.
To imagine a world where harmony with nature—
and equity among people—
is not a distant dream, but a living reality.

Together, let us climb—
Toward the summit of resilience.
Toward the peak of justice.
Toward a future built on shared hope.

We look forward to your wisdom.
To your voices.
To your vision—throughout this Sambaad.

May your time in Nepal be joyful and inspiring.
In the land of Sagarmatha.
In the land of Buddha.

Thank you.

Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba has described the mountains as humanity's shared global resources.

In her welcome statement in the Opening Session of the Sagarmatha Sambaad organized for the first time in Kathmandu on the theme of 'Climate Change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity', she said the mountains are the source of fresh water to millions of people.

Stating that the Himalayas are bearing the greatest burden of climate change-induced stressors today, she noted that the rate of glacier melting due to climate change effects has significantly increased. Minister Rana mentioned that this has negatively impacted the daily lives of the mountain communities.

"Mountains store and supply freshwater, act as natural carbon sinks and are home to breathtaking biodiversity and abundant natural resources. They offer an array of sustainable climate solutions in the form of reforestation, watershed protection and eco-tourism," she stated.

Reminding that the climate change-induced disasters have shaken the very foundation of human existence and livelihoods, the Foreign Affairs Minister said the floods and glacial lake outburst triggered by climate change impact has caused a big damage, and the droughts, water scarcity and forest fires has given untold suffering.

"The Sambaad provides an occasion for reflection and introspection and aims to encourage meaningful conversations on matters that matter to us all, from the mountains to the seas, and from the Global North to the Global South," she added.

Noting that the Himalayas, in particular, are facing an unprecedented stress test in real time today, exposing not only the fragile nature of our mountain ecosystems but also a glaring evidence of the lack of meaningful global climate action, she said Nepal, as a mountainous country, is forced to face a heavy and disproportionate burden of the negative impacts of climate change.

"Yet there are incredible examples of many local communities fighting strenuously against climate change. Women, indigenous people, youth, and marginalized groups- especially in mountain regions- are the gentle caretakers of our natural world. They fight on the home ground and they know how to fight a long fight."

The minister stressed on the occasion that recognizing and giving value to their local knowledge and lived experience is critical to building adaptive and sustainable communities, as is empowering them with resources and opportunities for finding sustainable solutions to an existential crisis.

Nepal has committed to achieving the target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045.  Hydropower, a clean form of energy, has remained Nepal's largest source of electricity. 

Minister Rana shared community forest, a natural resource management program pioneered by Nepal, has not only helped Nepal enlarge its forest cover significantly but has also emerged as a model of participatory conservation the world over.

"Climate change is a global crisis transcending national boundaries. Nothing less than a global alliance based on justice and solidarity can hope to make a dent on the existential crisis that climate change brings in its wake", she mentioned, adding that we call for a sufficient and effective loss and damage fund that could be easily accessed by countries in crisis. 

The Foreign Minister added that the world should acknowledge the vulnerabilities of countries like Nepal as well as support targeted mitigation and adaptation strategies through the provision of climate finance, adaptation support and technology transfer.

Nepal has therefore been consistently at the forefront of advocating for climate justice in international forums and multilateral institutions, she opined.

Minister Rana argued that this forum would be an opportunity to contemplate on the linkage between climate change and regional and international peace, security and stability as well as the impacts of climate change on migration, food security, humanitarian crisis and disaster risks. 

She expressed the belief that the Dialogue would help spark fresh ideas, foster cooperation and mobilize greater political willpower in combating the specter of climate change and the existential threat to the future of humanity.