Nepal Foreign Minister Mahendra Bahadur Panday called on Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif at the Prime Minister’s House Thursday.
The prime minister said that Pakistan wishes to nurture closer economic and cultural relations between the two countries. He said bilateral trade between Pakistan and Nepal was not reflective of their political ties and the potential that existed in both the countries for which institutional mechanisms such as Joint Economic Commission needed to be made more effective.
The prime minister said apart from strengthening bilateral relations with Nepal, Pakistan is particularly keen to promote SAARC activities in partnership with Nepal.
Resolution of disputes between SAARC countries is important for SAARC’s progress and Nepal could play its due role in this regard, he said.
It was also acknowledged in the meeting that it was important for the SAARC to develop economic partnerships with major countries within the region, which is essential for the SAARC’s growth.
Panday handed over an invitation to the prime minister to participate in the 18th SAARC Summit being held in Kathmandu in November. He also conveyed the best wishes and greetings of the Nepalese Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and expressed the desire to further strengthen and develop bilateral relations.
The prime minister reciprocated these sentiments while conveying best wishes for a successful SAARC Summit.
Ambassador of Nepal to Pakistan Bharat Raj Paudyal and Special Assistant to Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi also attended the meeting.
