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Wrapping up his two-day state visit to Nepal, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani returned home today.

President Ram Chandra Poudel had reached the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) to bid farewell to the Qatari Emir.

Vice President Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Speaker Devraj Ghimire, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Raghubir Mahaseth, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Shakti Bahadur Basnet, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Hit Bahadur Tamang and Chief Secretary Baikuntha Aryal, among other high officials were also present at TIA to see off the Emir.

A contingent of the Nepali Army offered a guard of honor and fired 21 cannon salvoes on the occasion.

The Qatari Emir arrived in Kathmandu on Tuesday for the state visit at the cordial invitation of President Paudel.

Qatari Emir Al Thani and President Paudel held talks at the Office of the President, Shital Niwas the same day.

President Paudel hosted a banquet in the Emir's honor the same evening.

Prime Minister Dahal and the Qatari Emir held a delegation-level meeting today. The two countries signed an agreement and five memoranda of understanding on various areas of cooperation on the occasion.

This is the Emir's first visit to Nepal after the two countries established diplomatic ties on January 21, 1977.

Nepal had set up its embassy in Doha on July 11, 2000 and Qatar its embassy in Kathmandu in August 2011.

Nepal and Qatar have reached to an agreement and understanding to collaborate in the art and culture, education, communication, youth and sports, legal assistance, and the industry and commerce sectors.

These agreements and MoUs were signed today on the occasion of the state visit of Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, said Amrit Bahadur Rai, spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The two countries signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on collaboration in the area of art and culture, exchange of news between the official news agencies of Nepal and Qatar, and exchange of cooperation in the education sector.

The agreements and MoUs were signed in the presence of the Qatari Emir and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal following bilateral talks between them at the Soaltee Hotel today.

The Agreement signed today is on Cooperation and Exchange of News between National News Agency, Nepal (RSS) and Qatar News Agency (QNA).

The MoUs signed include: the Memorandum of Understanding  for cooperation in the fields of culture and arts between the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation of Nepal and the Ministry of Culture of the State of Qatar; the Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in the field of education, higher education and scientific research between the Government of Nepal and the Government of  the State of Qatar; the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of youth and sports between the Government of Nepal and the Government of the State of Qatar; the Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation between the Office of the Attorney General of Nepal and the Public Prosecution of the State of Qatar and the Memorandum of Understanding  on cooperation in the field of diplomatic training and education between the Institute of Foreign Affairs (IFA) of the Government of Nepal and The Diplomatic Institute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar.

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who is on a two-day state visit to Nepal, and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal held a meeting on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Dahal and Qatari Emir Al Thani held a one-to-one meeting at Hotel Soaltee this morning, the Prime Minister’s Secretariat informed.

During the meeting between the delegations led by the Qatari Emir and Prime Minister Dahal, matters related to bilateral relations, mutual cooperation and interests and regional and international issues will be discussed, the Foreign Ministry said.

After the meeting, bilateral agreements and memorandum of understandings (MoUs) will be signed in their presence.

The MoUs will be signed between Nepal and Qatar in the fields of youth and sports, higher education and scientific research.

The two countries are also scheduled to sign MoUs on art and culture, attorney general's office and foreign affairs, Amrit Bahadur Rai, spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said.

Prime Minister Dahal will host a luncheon in honor of the Qatari Emir.

The Qatari arrived in Kathmandu on Tuesday at the cordial invitation of President Ram Chandra Paudel.

He will leave Kathmandu for Qatar this afternoon.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has stressed the need to remain alert with the new challenges emerging in the health sector.

In his address to the first convocation ceremony of the Patan Academy of Health Sciences today, PM Dahal instructed the agencies concerned to pay special attention to resolve the problems seen in the health sector.

"The Academy should develop more infrastructure to overcome and manage any challenges that may arise in the health sector", he said, laying special emphasis on making the hospital services more quality and effective.

On the occasion, the Prime Minister underlined the need to produce skilled and socially responsible doctors for quality health care in rural areas, according to the PM's personal secretariat.

Underscoring the need to expand access to health services to the rural areas, PM Dahal cited COVID-19 pandemic situation to note the general public of Nepal can get universal health care services only if the public health institutions are effective and efficient.

The government has placed high priority on developing the capacity of all public hospitals, the PM said, instructing the Academy to take further initiative to provide specialized health services, including access to health services to all, quality of service as well as identifying social, cultural and environmental factors affecting public health in the community.

PM Dahal also took the opportunity to appreciate the Academy's recent initiatives of launching health insurance and community-based service delivery in collaboration with local governments.

The Prime Minister highlighted the urgency for establishing an integrated institute of health sciences and removal of duplication in medical education and health services for the management, operation and regulation of all medical and health sciences related institutions in the country.

"Attention should be paid to enhancing capacity of all health institutions to provide basic and quality health services to all citizens", he said, informing the government was making necessary ground works towards developing Nepal as a hub of medical education.