UAE opens residential embassy in Nepal

Kathmandu, May 12:A residential embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been officially inaugurated in Nepal.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs of the UAE, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his Nepalese counterpart Kamal Thapa jointly inaugurated the embassy on Tuesday in Kathmandu’s Lazimpat area, Xinhua news agency reported.

“Today is a historic day in Nepal-UAE relationship with the establishment of the UAE embassy in Nepal. It is my pleasure to say that we have been enjoying a cordial and trouble-free relationship since the establishment of diplomatic ties,” the Nepalese foreign minister said.

He thanked the UAE government for dispatching the rescue and relief teams in the aftermath of the devastating April 2015 earthquake that killed nearly 10,000 people leaving 23,000 injured.

Sheikh Abdullah said that the bilateral relationship will be further enhanced with the establishment of UAE embassy in Nepal.

The UAE delegation headed by the foreign minister also held talks with Nepalese President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister K.P Sharma Oli.

Nepal has maintained its residential embassy in Abu Dhabi since April 2004. The two countries established their diplomatic relations on January 22, 1977.

UAE has remained one of the attractive destinations for Nepalese migrant workers over the years. About 200,000 Nepalese are currently working in UAE, according to the Nepalese foreign affairs ministry.