Kathmandu- The Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Nepal, Mr. Aleksei Novikov, paid a courtesy visit to the Chairman of the National Assembly, Mr. Ganesh Prashad Timilsina on Tuesday.
At the meeting which was held in the Chairman’s office at Singha Durbar, the two parties held discussions on issues related to diplomatic and parliamentary relations, impacts of the coronavirus, infrastructure and trade developments, and investment partnerships.
Chairman Timilsina paid tribute to the Russian citizens who lost their lives due to the coronavirus, and wished speedy recovery to all of those still infected. “The world has been highly affected by this virus.
Countries around the world are in search of a vaccine to contain this virus, and I am glad to hear that such a vaccine has successfully been developed in Russia,” he stated. He also expressed his hopefulness that the vaccine would soon be recognized by the World Health Organization.
Additionally, the Chairman conveyed his gratitude to the Government of Russia for taking care of the Nepali community in Russia during this time of crisis. “The continuous support from Russia in developing trained and skilled manpower in the fields of medicine, engineering and industry along with providing scholarships to Nepali students in these sectors have greatly benefited Nepal,” he said.
Chairman Timilsina recalled the periodic visits between the parliamentary delegations of Nepal and Russia, and expressed his hopefulness that the continuous parliamentary friendship between the two countries will further deepen ties between them.
He stated that in order to promote the interests of both countries, partnership is needed at bilateral and multilateral levels. “There is ample potential for trade and investment in Nepal, especially in the areas of energy, agriculture, tourism and infrastructure development,” he said.
Nepal and Russia have enjoyed cordial relations ever since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. According to Ambassador Novikov, Russia is more than ready to provide necessary financial and technical assistance towards Nepal’s development.
He informed that the Russian vaccine against the coronavirus has begun exporting to parts of the world, and that it would be provided to Nepal as soon as possible. The Russian developed vaccine is set to hit the world market in November.
Ambassador Novikov also expressed his interest in resuming Kathmandu-Moscow flights, whenever possible, in order to promote Nepal’s tourism and increase the number of Russian tourists. “If there’s mutual will among both the countries, there are many areas for partnership,” stated the Ambassador.
“The Russian government is ready to provide financial and technical support to the government of Nepal in it’s plan to expand the metro rail in Kathmandu.”
Ambassador Novikov also mentioned that he would take the initiative to bring the Russian Minister of Defense and Foreign Affairs for a visit to Nepal.
