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The Nepal-Switzerland Bilateral Consultations Mechanism (BCM) meeting in Switzerland reviewed the entire spectrum of Nepal-Switzerland relations including economic ties, development partnership, multilateral cooperation, and contemporary global issues such as climate change and human rights.

The BCM also discussed the exchange of high-level visits, Nepal’s graduation from the LDC category, progress made towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, and ways to further enhance bilateral cooperation on trade, investment, tourism, science and technology, and vocational training, among others, according to the Nepali Embassy in Geneva.

The fourth meeting of the Nepal-Switzerland BCM was held at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) in Bern, Switzerland on Tuesday. 

Head of the Europe-Americas Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal, Joint Secretary Ganesh Prasad Dhakal and Assistant State Secretary for Asia and the Pacific in the FDFA of Switzerland, Heinrich Schellenberg led the respective delegations.

Nepali delegation included Ambassador of Nepal to Switzerland, Ram Prasad Subedi and the Embassy Officials whereas the Swiss Delegation included officials from the FDFA and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

On the occasion Joint Secretary Dhakal requested the Swiss side to encourage the participation of their investors in the upcoming Nepal Investment Summit being held in Kathmandu this month.

The Nepali side thanked the Swiss Government for consistently placing Nepal as a priority country for Swiss Development Cooperation. While expressing satisfaction over Nepal’s progress, the Swiss side assured of their continued support to Nepal’s development endeavors.

Nepal-Switzerland Bilateral Consultations Mechanism was established in 2015 and the next meeting will be held in Kathmandu on mutually convenient dates, adds the Embassy.

The House of Representatives (HoR) has endorsed the Charter of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).

A meeting of the lower house of the Federal Parliament today passed with majority support for the proposal seeking endorsement of the BIMSTEC Charter, presented by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Narayan Kaji Shrestha. 

Replying to queries that came up during the discussions on the provisions of the BIMSTEC Charter in the HoR meeting, DPM and Foreign Affairs Minister Shrestha said the government agreed to the ideas put forth by lawmakers regarding the necessity of BIMSTEC and endorsement of its Charter.

Stating that Nepal has been participating and playing a positive role in the multilateral and regional organizations, he reminded of Nepal's involvement in multilateral world bodies like the United Nations Organization as well.

"We have been making efforts towards rendering the regional organizations also effective through our participation. We show our participation and play our role in the forums where we see our nation's interests align," Minister Shrestha reiterated.

Sharing about the reality of not being able to make the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) active, he expressed the commitment to adopting further initiatives to render it more effective.

"BIMSTEC is not the replacement of SAARC and it should not be. Nepal does not agree to the notion of moving ahead BIMSTEC at the cost of SAARC. We are for making the SAARC vibrant and will play an active role for that in the capacity of the SAARC Chair," DPM and Foreign Affairs Minister said.

Informing the House that all the member nations, including Nepal, had signed the BIMSTEC Charter during the Fifth Summit of BIMSTEC held in 2022 in Sri Lanka, he mentioned about the Charter's clear provisions that it will come into force only after its endorsement by parliament. "Information has been received that apart from Nepal six member countries have got the BIMSTEC Charter endorsed from their respective parliaments. There is the provision that the Charter will go into implementation 30 days after its endorsement by Nepal," he said.

Taking part in the discussions on the provisions of the BIMSTEC Charter, lawmaker Dr Swornim Wagle of the Rastriya Swatantra Party hailed the endorsement of the Charter by Nepal's Parliament. He stated that the Preamble, objectives and principles of BIMSTEC were positive, saying there were no provisions in the Charter which undermined Nepal's sovereignty.

"BIMSTEC is awakening only recently with the goal of forging regional collaboration on issues of economic prosperity. If we could take it forward by promoting and prospering it, it is bound to be to the benefit of Nepal," he said.

CPN-UML lawmaker Raghuji Panta said Nepal could reap benefits from BIMSTEC on the technical, educational and research issues.

Stressing on the need of moving ahead keeping the national interest at supreme, he mentioned that the government should pay attention to the benefits Nepal can take from regional organizations.  

Nepali Congress lawmaker Sita Mizar expressed the view that the government should take further efforts to take benefits from BIMSTEC. 

Lawmakers—Bidya Bhattarai, Dipa Sharma, Ishwori Gharti, Sunita Baral, Eknath Dhakal, Manish Jha, Ganesh Parajuli, Sobita Gautam, Pradeep Yadav, Devendra Poudel, Madhav Sapkota, Narayani Sharma, Purna Bahadur Gharti Magar, Abdul Khan, Prem Suwal, Sonu Murmu, Binita Kumari Singh and Damodar Poudel 'Bairagi' had participated in the discussion on the proposal. 

The Article 279 (1) of the Constitution of Nepal has the provision that the ratification of a treaty and agreement to which Nepal is to become a party shall be as provided for in the federal law.

Clause 4 of the Nepal Treaty Act 2027 has the provision that the Government and Council of Ministers has to table the charter at the Federal Parliament for approval. As per the provision, the government tabled the BIMSTEC charter in the parliament for approval.

BIMSTEC was formed in 1997 with an objective making regional coordination on the issues like economic prosperity, social progress, scientific achievement, peace, stability and connectivity. Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand are members of BIMSTEC. Nepal became a member of BIMSTEC in 2004.

The next meeting of the Parliament will be held at 11 am tomorrow.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal held separate meetings with Nagarik Unmukti Party patron Resham Chaudhary and Chairperson Ranjita Shrestha on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Dahal held talks with them at a time when there was a dispute between Chaudhary and Shrestha over whether to join the government or not.

According to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, the Prime Minister held a meeting with Shrestha at Baluwatar and with Chaudhary at the Prime Minister’s Office in Singha Durbar.

Prime Minister Dahal held discussions on the issues of the Sudurpaschim and Lumbini government.

A source said that the Prime Minister sought help from both of them for the formation of province government.

Though the Nagarik Unmukti Party has been supporting Prime Minister Dahal in the center, it has been throwing weight behind the Nepali Congress in the Sudurpaschim and Lumbini Province.

There are five ministers of Nagarik Unmukti Party in Sudurpaschim and the party is also participating in the Lumbini.

Chaudhary said that Prime Minister Dahal proposed a Chief Minister in the Sudurpaschim.

In reply, Chaudhary said that he would move ahead as per the decision of the party meeting to be held on April 5 and 6.

Lawmakers have demanded the prompt resumption of Nepal-China transit points closed with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Airing views in the 'zero hour' of the House of Representatives (HoR) meeting today, NC lawmaker Dilendra Prasad Badu expressed satisfaction over the reports that during Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha's recent visit to China, the two sides exchanged views on reopening the transit points along the Nepal-China border including Tinker in Darchula.

He said during the Prime Minister's China visit in the past, it was reported that the transit points would be resumed but this has not happened so far. "The Foreign Minister should clarify it," he asserted.

Thakur Prasad Gaire of CPN-UML urged the government to conserve Palpa's historic Rani Mahal (Palace) while Tara Lama Tamang demanded grants to sugarcane farmers.

Pradip Paudel of Nepali Congress drew the government's attention towards the issue of the server down in Tribhuvan International Airport. It was Badri Pandey from the same party who expressed his concerns over problems being faced by Bajura people in the aftermath of a landslide and a delay in constructing a bridge in Martadi. 

Devendra Poudel of CPN (Maoist Center) urged the government to establish the administration office at Galkot of Baglung to provide government services near to the locality of people who face challenges to visit the district headquarters to acquire administrative services.

Dhawal Shumsher JB Rana, Basudev Ghimire, Bindhyabasini Kansakar, Tejulal Chaudhary, Damodar Poudel Bairagi, Durga Rai, Pradip Yadav, Prabhu Hajara, Binita Kathayat, Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan, Nagina Yadav, Nirmala Koirala, Narayan Prasad Acharya, Nisha Dangi, Purna Bahadur Gharti Magar, Pratima Gautam, Pratiksha Mukhiya, Dikpal Kumari Shahi, Deepak Giri, Deepa Sharma and Dr Toshima Karki raised contemporary issues.