Foreign Minister Dr Rana holds bilateral meetings with Oman’s Ministers

Kathmandu, Feb 20: Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba, who is on an official visit to the Sultanate of Oman, held a bilateral meeting with Eng. Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi, Minister of Energy and Minerals of the Sultanate of Oman, on Wednesday morning.

In the meeting, Minister Rana highlighted the priorities of the Government of Nepal in the energy sector and informed that hydropower, solar power, wind power, hybrid solar and hydro, and green hydrogen development are the mainstays of Nepal’s strategies in the energy sector, the Embassy of Nepal in Muscat, Oman, said.

She added that collaboration in the energy sector between Nepal and the Sultanate of Oman could bring mutual benefits to both nations. Minister Eng. Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi stressed the necessity to switch from fossil fuels to greener forms of energy for sustainable development and emphasized the need for collaboration with friendly nations like Nepal to achieve the goals set under the Oman Vision 2040.

He further maintained that the proposed MOU between Nepal and the Sultanate of Oman in the field of energy cooperation would open up new vistas of opportunities. Meanwhile, the foreign minister held a bilateral meeting with Salim bin Mohammed bin Said Al Mahroqi, Minister of Heritage and Tourism of the Sultanate of Oman, on Wednesday afternoon at the latter’s office, where matters about bilateral relations between Nepal and the Sultanate of Oman were discussed, stated a press release issued by the embassy on February 19.

The minister elaborated on the potential of tourism in Nepal and emphasized collaboration in the field of adventure tourism apart from other sectors of tourism. The Heritage and Tourism Minister of the Sultanate of Oman welcomed the Nepali delegation and expressed satisfaction over the excellent state of bilateral relations existing between the two countries.

He added that the MOU in the field of tourism cooperation will augment opportunities for enhanced cooperation for businesses of both countries. Both the ministers signed a “Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation of the Government of Nepal and the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism in the Sultanate of Oman in the field of Tourism Cooperation” on behalf of their respective governments.

The foreign minister and the Nepali delegation arrived in the Sultanate of Oman on February 14 to attend the 8th Indian Ocean Conference and hold bilateral meetings. During her stay in Oman, she held thirteen bilateral meetings, concluded two MOUs, held a virtual meeting with Nepali ambassadors and diplomats in GCC countries, and interacted with the representatives of the Oman-based Nepali community, the press release noted. —RSS