Kathmandu, August 24
National Assembly Chair Narayan Prasad Dahal held a courtesy meeting with Australian Ambassador to Nepal Simon Ernst on Monday, discussing bilateral relations, mutual interests, cooperation and parliamentary exchanges.
The meeting took place at Dahal’s office in Singha Durbar.
During the meeting, Dahal urged Ambassador Ernst to take necessary initiatives for the implementation of the agreement to establish direct air services between Nepal and Australia.
Dahal expressed confidence that the longstanding friendly relations between the two countries would be further strengthened in the coming days.
He said Nepal and Australia have maintained cordial relations since establishing diplomatic ties and that there are no major differences between the two countries at either the bilateral or international level.
Dahal also said the trade and investment agreement signed between the two countries last year would give fresh momentum to economic cooperation.
Parliamentary ties
Dahal said the Federal Parliament has established the Nepal-Australia Parliamentary Friendship Group and stressed that exchanges of parliamentary experience, regular interactions and bilateral visits could further strengthen relations.
Referring to his meetings with the Speaker of the Australian Parliament on the sidelines of various Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) conferences, Dahal said parliamentary diplomacy should continue to be used to deepen ties between the two countries.
He also described people-to-people relations as an important foundation of Nepal-Australia ties.
Dahal noted that Australia has become a major destination for Nepali students pursuing higher education, with thousands of Nepalis studying there. He said the large Nepali community working and involved in various professions in Australia has further strengthened people-to-people relations between the two countries.
Ambassador Ernst thanked Dahal for the meeting and said he would continue working during his tenure in Nepal to bring the two countries closer and further strengthen bilateral relations.
Ernst said Nepal and Australia have strong ties not only at the diplomatic level but also between their people.
He said more than 60,000 Nepali students are currently studying in Australia and that the overall Nepali population in the country exceeds 200,000.
