Foreign Minister Deuba updates Parliament on air route talks and Pancheswor agreement

Kathmandu, September 3 — Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba addressed questions during a meeting of Parliament’s International Relations and Tourism Committee, clarifying that her recent visit to India was a goodwill trip. She emphasized that the primary goal of the visit was to enhance the functionality of the bilateral mechanism.

During the visit, discussions included the air route, leading to an agreement to hold a technical team meeting. She noted that the agreement on the Pancheswor project is nearing completion.

Deuba stated that the issue of the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) was not discussed during her visit but would be addressed at a later date.

Regarding trade with Bangladesh, she informed the committee that discussions had taken place with the ambassador just two days prior.

Acknowledging that the current ambassadorial appointments lack inclusivity, Deuba mentioned efforts to include representatives from Madhesh in one of the vacant positions. She also apologized for the lack of recommendations from Dalit and Muslim communities and promised to address these concerns in the future.

Deuba explained that Shankar Sharma was recommended as ambassador to India due to his efficiency and called for a revision of the ambassador appointment guidelines, urging the committee to take initiative in this matter.