Saudi Foreign Affairs Minister Prince Faisal in Kathmandu (audio report)

March 15, Kathmandu: The Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Fahran Al Saud, arrived in Kathmandu on Monday on a two-day official visit to Nepal.

Arriving from Sri Lanka on a private plane, he was welcomed at the VVIP lounge at the Tribhuvan International Airport by Foreign Secretary Bharat Raj Poudyal, Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Nepal Musaid Suleiman M Al Marwani, and senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Saudi Embassy in Kathmandu.

The Saudi prince is leading a 23-member delegation.  During the visit, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal is scheduled to hold separate courtesy meetings with President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

 The Foreign Minister of Nepal Dr Narayan Khadka will hold talks with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal, on Tuesday.

After the meeting, the foreign ministers of the two countries are scheduled to sign an agreement on enhancing mutual cooperation.

The agreement will pave the way for cooperation between Nepal and Saudi Arabia in the fields of communication, education, culture, industry and sports.   

Saudi Arabia is a major destination country for Nepali workers. About 400,000 Nepalis are currently employed in the kingdom. The Saudi Prince is scheduled to return home on Tuesday afternoon.