Westerly low-pressure system likely to cause rain
Due to an impact of the westerly low-pressure system in the weather, light rain coupled with thunder and lightning is likely to occur at a few places in Madesh Province and Bagmati Province of the country today, according to the Meteorological Forecasting Division of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology.
The weather would remain partly to generally cloudy throughout the country today while some parts in Gandaki and Madhes provinces are receiving rainfall, Meteorologist at the Division Sanjiv Adhikari said. "The temperature shall remain unchanged," he added.
The Division stated that chances of light to moderate snowfall are likely at some places of the high hilly and mountainous region of the country.
According to Adhikari, impacts of the westerly low-pressure system have gradually shifted to Gandaki, Bagmati and eastern belt of the country from the Sudurpaschim and Karnali.
The Division shared that chances of rain are more likely on Thursday compared to today and the weather shall be gradually clear from Friday.
Tonight, the weather is likely to remain partly to generally cloudy throughout the country and light rain or thunder and lightning is likely to occur at a few places in Gandaki, Karnali and Sudur Paschim provinces and hilly regions of the country.
Nepal Embassy organizes tourism promotion event in Colombo
Nepal's tourism promotional program was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
In the Tourism Promotion Program organized recently by the Embassy of Nepal in Colombo under the theme of "Discover the Himalaya Wonder: Explore the Cultural Treasures", a large number of travel agent operators, journalists and business persons from Sri Lanka and Nepal attended the event.
On the occasion, Nepal's Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Basudev Mishra said that the tourism industry is crucial for both Nepal and Sri Lanka for revitalization of economy and called for synergy in the tourism sector.
Ambassador Mishra invited the Sri Lankan nationals to visit Nepal adding that Nepal offers a welcoming atmosphere to the tourists with several tourism products and competitive prices.
Saying that Nepal is all set to hold an Investment Summit in May, Ambassador Mishra urged the Sri Lankan business community for more collaboration and cooperation in the areas of investment and business in Nepal.
During the event, the participants from Sri Lanka expressed their willingness to visit Lumbini, the Birth Place of Lord Buddha, and other sites too.
Likewise, Managing Director of Nepal's Adventure Outdoor Trek and Expedition Company Dr Kalyan Raj Sharma made a presentation about Nepal's tourism products by including offers by the tourism industry. He said that tourism avenue in Nepal carries a larger scope beyond religious tourism and the trend is on the rise in recent days.
Dr Sharma urged Sri Lankan visitors to explore adventure tourism, go trekking and enjoy diverse wildlife in Nepal within its small geographic zone.
On the occasion, Nepali tourism and business products were put on display and information about Nepal's tourism industry was shared. Similarly, promotional videos of tourist destinations, cultures of Nepal and Nepali songs, among others were performed.
Nepali business persons, who participated at the event, have pinned hopes on receiving more tourists from Sri Lanka and also announced their competitive tour packages targeting the Sri Lankan visitors.
UK announces $500m aid package
The United Kingdom on Tuesday announced for Nepal a new grant assistance package of £400m ($505m), to be utilized till 2030, reinforcing the importance it attaches to the Asia-Pacific region and Nepal, with which it has diplomatic relations spanning more than two centuries.
The two countries signed grant agreements for Nepal in Business and Green Growth Nepal Program in the presence of UK's Minister for Development and Africa Andrew Mitchell, here on a two-day visit (Feb19-20) and Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat.
In a press release, the British Embassy in Nepal said: a) The new development portfolio will help Nepal tackle the climate crisis, mobilize international finance for development, deliver economic transformation, and support governance and inclusion. b) UK development support will see £400m ($505m) in grants delivered by 2030. c) Impacts will include helping create 13,500 jobs, attracting more than $1bn in investment and supporting access to quality health and education services for two million women and girls.
Minister Mitchell inspected a number of projects, including the Upper-Trishuli-1 hydropower project, to see firsthand the impact of nearly $22m of British International Investment funding. He held talks with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud and Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat. Together, they affirmed British support for Nepal’s Investment Summit slated for April 2024, and discussed the reforms necessary to mobilise finance and attract investors.
In a speech at the Ministry of Finance, the minister set out how the UK will work with Nepal to help mobilise development funding, tackle the climate crisis and build business, to support Nepal’s expected transition from the Least Developed Country status.
Improved access to sustainable local infrastructure, a key element of that transition, is expected to benefit 1.7m people across the country as a result of the UK’s new portfolio.
As part of the portfolio, Minister Mitchell welcomed the recent agreement by Nepal’s Cabinet on new programs that will support green and inclusive growth, attract foreign direct investment, and promote more inclusive business.
Minister Mitchell saw first-hand the threats of climate change in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region, and how the UK is helping Nepal manage climate risks. This includes through the £274m Climate Action for a Resilient Asia program, supporting the Integrated Centre for International Mountain Development (ICIMOD) to promote a more climate resilient and inclusive Hindu Kush.
At the One-Stop Crisis Management Centre at Lumbini Province Hospital, the Minister saw how UK funding is improving support to survivors of gender-based violence. He also discussed how the UK is supporting female entrepreneurs, thought leaders and activists to address social exclusion of women and marginalised groups.
Military drill on peacekeeping starts
The international peacekeeping exercise started on Tuesday with the initiation of ‘Exercise Shanti Prayas-IV.’ The exercise is taking place at the Birendra Peace Operation Training Center (BPOTC) in Panchkhal, Kavre district, and will continue until March 4. The inaugural session was held at the Nepal Army headquarters on Tuesday.
This exercise is a collaborative undertaking between the Nepali Army and the United States government’s Global Peace Operation Initiative (GPOI). The GPOI focuses on promoting excellence in the proficiency of peacekeeping forces, improving mutual coordination capabilities, and ensuring interoperability among Troops Contributing Countries (TCCs) to the United Nations.
The ongoing event marks the fourth iteration of the Nepal-hosted Exercise Shanti Prayas, with the inaugural exercise conducted in 2000. Subsequent editions occurred in 2013 and 2017. This year’s exercise features the participation of military personnel from 19 nations, including Nepal.
The primary objective of this exercise is to enhance the skills and interoperability among troops from countries contributing to United Nations peacekeeping missions, according to the Nepali Army.
A total of 1,125 participants will engage in various events, including 689 individuals in Field Training Events (FTE), 110 in Staff Training Events (STE) and 326 in Critical Enabler and Capability Enhancement (2CE) activities. “The exercise aims not only to address challenges encountered in peacekeeping efforts but also to increase awareness among participating nations about the challenges,” the Army said.
During the opening ceremony of the exercise, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal highlighted that Nepal’s engagement in UN peace operations has consistently been a crucial component of its foreign policy, aimed at achieving and strengthening global peace and stability, garnering commendation from the global community.
Expressing immense pride, he emphasized Nepal’s current status as the leading contributor of troops and police personnel to United Nations Peacekeeping missions. “Nepal has further pledged to deploy up to ten thousand well-trained and equipped personnel for UN Peace operations on request of the United Nations,” he said.
Affirming Nepal’s unwavering advocacy for peace and equality in international forums, the Prime Minister stated that these commitments are deeply rooted in the country's pursuit of global peace and harmony. “This is further manifested through our participation in the UN peace operations, where our peacekeepers have distinctly demonstrated bravery, compassion, and selflessness in their noble mission to protect and restore hope in regions torn apart by conflict.”
In the current global landscape, peacekeepers confront heightened and diverse threats arising from the complex and multi-layered nature of conflicts, driven by factors such as ethnic tensions and terrorism. Dahal stressed the imperative to adapt to this evolving scenario, as peacekeeping operations have transformed into complex politico-military-humanitarian efforts. This transformation necessitates a greater understanding and preparedness on the part of peacekeepers. He emphasized the crucial need to reassess how peace is delivered in the face of new and complex challenges to maintain the trust and legitimacy of UN Peacekeeping.
He also said that the multinational exercise emphasizes and reminds us of the necessity to continually train, refine strategies, and build strong partnerships among nations for the successful conduct of peacekeeping operations.
The Chief of Army Staff Prabhuram Sharma, while speaking at the program said that the exercise will be fruitful in promoting mutual relations and professionalism among the peacekeepers when working to establish peace in various conflict areas of the world in accordance with the mandate of the UN.
DAS Rachel Schiller, deputy assistant secretary for Programs and Operations, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs said, “The United States remains deeply committed to the success of UN peacekeeping, which is why we are not only the largest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping, but we are also the largest bilateral capacity building partner globally through the Global Peace Operations Initiative through which we have committed over $1.5bn since 2005, to enhance the capacity of partner countries to prepare, deploy and sustain peacekeepers in UN and regional peacekeeping missions.”
Flag Display, Fly Past, Band Display and cultural programs of the participating countries were presented in the event. Soldiers from Bangladesh, Fiji, Ghana, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uruguay, United States of America, Australia, Canada, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam are participating in the exercise.
Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayankaji Shrestha, Chief Secretary Baikunth Aryal, former Commanders-in-Chief, secretaries of various ministries, Ambassadors, Commissioners, Chiefs of Nepal Police and Armed Police Force and military aides among others were present in the inaugural event.
Nepal became a member of the United Nations in 1955 and since 1958, Nepal has been actively engaged in the broader spectrum of UN Peace Operations. Over the course of over sic and half decade, Nepal has participated in 44 UN peacekeeping missions and during this period, 167,000 Nepali peacekeepers have contributed to these missions and among them, the NA personnel number 149,890.
