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Minister for Foreign Affairs Arzu Rana Deuba held a meeting with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, on the sidelines of the High-Level Segment of the 58th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva today.

During the meeting, Minister Rana reaffirmed Nepal's commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights. She highlighted Nepal's significant progress in human rights as exemplary despite limited means and resources.

She briefed the High Commissioner that the Constitution of Nepal has guaranteed civil liberties as well as political, economic, social and cultural rights of the citizens as fundamental rights, reiterating the country's dedication to democratic values, rule of law and independence of the judiciary.

Similarly, she expressed Nepal's determination to conclude the transitional justice process soon, informing about ongoing efforts to draft a law aimed at completing the remaining work of the peace process.

Foreign Minister Rana was accompanied by Krishna Prasad Dhakal, Head of the UN Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ram Prasad Subedi, Nepal's Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, and Rajendra Thapa, Joint Secretary at the Human Rights and International Treaty Agreements Division of the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.

Ambassador of Nepal to Spain, Sanil Nepal, presented his letters of credence to Spanish King Felipe VI amid a formal ceremony held at the Royal Palace of Madrid on February 24.

Ambassador Nepal was received at Palacio De Santa Cruz by the Second Introducer of Ambassadors of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation of Spain. A brief meeting was held with the Deputy Director General of South and East Asia.

Ambassador Nepal was accorded a Guard of Honor before heading to the Royal Palace.

Following the presentation of credentials, Ambassador Nepal attended a private audience held by King Felipe VI, accompanied by the Under-Secretary of the Ministry. Their discussions centered on the longstanding, cordial Nepal-Spain relations and avenues for enhanced cooperation.

It was shared in a press statement released by the Embassy of Nepal in Spain.

The King congratulated Ambassador Nepal on his appointment and conveyed his best wishes for a successful tenure. He also recalled his previous visit to Nepal and expressed his desire to visit again at a suitable time.

Similarly, Ambassador Nepal conveyed the warm greetings and best wishes of President Ram Chandra Poudel, and extended, through King Felipe VI, the goodwill of the government and people of Nepal to the government and people of Spain.

The Ambassador also briefed the Spanish King on Nepal's foreign policy priorities, development initiatives, and efforts to address climate change, highlighting the importance of international cooperation in tackling environmental challenges.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he plans to offer a “gold card” visa with a path to citizenship for $5 million, replacing a 35-year-old visa for investors.

“They’ll be wealthy and they’ll be successful, and they’ll be spending a lot of money and paying a lot of taxes and employing a lot of people, and we think it’s going to be extremely successful,” Trump said in the Oval Office.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the “Trump Gold Card” would replace EB-5 visas in two weeks. EB-5s were created by Congress in 1990 to generate foreign investment and are available to people who spend about $1 million on a company that employs at least 10 people.

Lutnick said the gold card — actually a green card, or permanent legal residency — would raise the price of admission for investors and do away with fraud and “nonsense” that he said characterize the EB-5 program. Like other green cards, it would include a path to citizenship.

About 8,000 people obtained investor visas in the 12-month period ending Sept. 30, 2022, according to the Homeland Security Department’s most recent Yearbook of Immigration Statistics. The Congressional Research Service reported in 2021 that EB-5 visas pose risks of fraud, including verification that funds were obtained legally.

Investors’ visas are common around the world. Henley & Partners, an advisory firm, says more than 100 countries around the world offer “golden visas” to wealthy individuals, including the United States, United Kingdom, Spain, Greece, Malta, Australia, Canada and Italy.

Trump made no mention of the requirements for job creation. And, while the number of EB-5 visas is capped, Trump mused that the federal government could sell 10 million “gold cards” to reduce the deficit. He said it “could be great, maybe it will be fantastic.”

“It’s somewhat like a green card, but at a higher level of sophistication, it’s a road to citizenship for people, and essentially people of wealth or people of great talent, where people of wealth pay for those people of talent to get in, meaning companies will pay for people to get in and to have long, long term status in the country,” he said.

Congress determines qualifications for citizenship, but Trump said “gold cards” would not require congressional approval. AP

Speaker Devraj Ghimire has expressed belief that the Mahashivaratri festival would foster harmony, tolerance and unity among all Nepalis, thereby instilling positive energy, knowledge and peace.

Giving a message of best wishes on the occasion of the Mahashivaratri festival today, Speaker Ghimire said the festival reinforces benevolence, love, compassion and faith so that human values would be bolstered. The Mahashivaratri is the major religious festival of Hindu people. God Shiva is worshipped and fasting is observed on this occasion, he reminded.

This festival bears religious, cultural and spiritual values. As per legend, it is the wedding night of the God Shiva and Goddess Parvati.

God Shiva is remembered as the power that creates, protects and destroys as well.

"Nepal is a religiously and culturally rich country. The temples, festivals and heritages are unique features of Nepali civilization. The Mahashivarati best reflects the cultural values and tradition of Nepalis," Speaker Ghimire explained in the message of best wishes.

The Pashupatinath Temple located in Kathmandu is the destination of hundreds of thousands of Hindu people during this festival, he added.