Foreign Minister braces for a visit to Moscow

Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Prakash Saud is preparing to fly to Russia for discussions on the death of Nepali nationals engaged in the ongoing war against Ukraine, the status of those missing in action and the repatriation of the youths still engaged in the war alongside the Russians. 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in consultation with Moscow to set the date for the visit. Minister Saud is doing spadework for talks with his Russian counterpart regarding the death, injury and status of those Nepali recruits, who have gone missing while fighting for the Russian army. 

There are no bilateral provisions on recruitment in the Russian forces, but reports suggest that Nepalis are serving alongside the Russians and fighters from a number of other countries lured by certain ‘incentives’. 

Moscow has not responded to Nepal’s repeated requests for information about the Nepalis in the Russian army, though the government has said that hundreds of Nepalis have been serving the Russians, more than 100 have gone missing and 11 Nepalis have died in the war so far.

According to Saud, 115 families of the Nepali youths, who have joined the Russian army, have submitted a request at the ministry calling for their early repatriation. We have asked Russia to repatriate the Nepalis serving its army and compensate the families of those killed in action, he said. 

Despite repeated requests from Nepal, no response has come from Russia, which recently passed a law allowing foreigners to join its army with a promise to provide them citizenship once they fulfill set criteria.