Ambassador of Nepal to the State of Qatar Dr. Naresh Bikram Dhakal described His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani's visit to Nepal as a cornerstone for consolidating the foundations of cooperation, partnership and building a bright future for bilateral relations."The visit of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to Nepal is going to be unprecedentedly historic and cornerstone in the annals of our diplomatic relations," the ambassador said in a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA).The Ambassador stressed that HH the Amir's visit paves the way for new opportunities and contributes to achieving significant milestones in bilateral relations by further expanding the areas of cooperation and benefiting from the strength and experience of the two countries to achieve mutual benefits, adding: "Both leaders will focus during the talks on achieving significant results that lead to shared goals in development, prosperity, innovation, and growth."The Government of Nepal has therefore attached utmost importance to this visit. With preparations in full swing, the government and people of Nepal are eagerly looking forward to welcoming HH the Amir on the land of Mt. Everest in a visit that we are confident it will be successful by all standards, he said. "Without any doubt, His Highness the Amirs visit will elevate our bilateral relations to a new height, with an extraordinary level of accomplishment. Peoples of both countries will cherish the sweet memories of this visit for years to come," he added.Dr. Naresh Bikram Dhakal expressed confidence that the visit will pave the way for further deepening and broadening cooperation with each other in various fields. "Trade, investment, energy, tourism, ICT, infrastructure development are areas where both countries are highly likely to make partnership creating a win-win situation," HE continued.During the visit, several agreements and memorandums of understanding to enhance bilateral relations will be signed, building on previous agreements. These include cooperation in the fields of press and information, health, education, higher education and scientific research, power sector, and cultural cooperation, among others, he said.HH the Amir's visit to Nepal is also expected to open up the various avenues of bilateral cooperation between the two countries such as trade, tourism, agriculture, investment, education, science and technology, and culture, the ambassador explained, adding the countries have signed memorandums of understanding and agreements over the past few years in various fields, including manpower employment, air service, economic, commercial and technical cooperation, avoidance of double taxation, human rights, abolishing visa requirements for the diplomatic and official passport holders, security cooperation, agriculture, and food security.The Ambassador further explained, "Over the years, bilateral ties between our two countries have witnessed steady progress through cooperation in various areas including labor field. Qatar has become one of the popular destinations among Nepali migrant workers in the past two decades. Nepali workers have made significant contributions in the overall development of Qatar involving construction, agriculture, service sectors and so on."In this context, HE Dr. Naresh Bikram Dhakal pointed out that the Nepali community is one of the largest expatriate communities in Qatar. They have been contributing to infrastructure development, including all stadiums for FIFA World Cup 2022 and other facilities.A Bilateral Agreement Concerning Nepali Manpower Employment in the State of Qatar was signed on Mar. 21, 2005, with its additional protocol signed on Jan. 20, 2008. The agreement aims to protect and promote the interests of the workers in the State of Qatar and regulate the supply of Nepali manpower to the country, HE the Ambassador stated, while praising the care and attention the Nepali community receives in Qatar and lauding the broad labor reforms implemented by Qatar in recent years to ensure the rights of migrant workers. They include the establishment and operationalization of Qatar Visa Centres (QVC), the non-requirement of exit permits, and the implementation of non-discriminatory minimum wages, among others. He added: "As a result, Nepali migrant workers have largely benefitted from the reforms introduced."He touched on trade exchanges between the two countries and said despite modest bilateral trade between the countries, they have gained momentum in recent years. Nepal exports carpets, food products, textiles, and leathers to Qatar, whereas Nepal imports polyethylene, gold jewelry, electronic equipment and parts, and textiles from Qatar, he noted."Obviously, the bilateral trade is in favour of the State of Qatar. We need to further expand our trade exchanges to the levels that the two friendly countries aspire to," the ambassador continued.Considering Nepal's huge potential in hydropower, tourism, agriculture, ICT, and urban development, His Excellency, in his statement to QNA, called on Qatari companies and Qatari businessmen to invest in his country.Thanks to its topography, Nepal is very rich in natural resources, especially in hydropower, a clean energy source. Nepal needs foreign investment to harness its rich water resources. Thus, investing in Nepal is beneficial for Qatari investors, he said."Likewise, Nepal is famous for its nature, culture and adventure. As a top tourist destination, Nepal offers several investment opportunities in the tourism sector. We desperately need foreign investment in this sector also. Many Qatari climbers climbed the world's highest peak Mt. Everest in Nepal. Having a keen interest in the mountaineering of the Himalayas, the trend of visiting Nepal from Qatar is growing," the ambassador continued.Agriculture, manufacturing, ICT, health, education, transportation, mines and minerals, and urban development are other promising areas in Nepal for foreign direct investment, the envoy highlighted.On this note, he extended an invitation to Qatari businessmen to participate in the upcoming Investment Summit organized by the Nepalese government from Apr. 28 to 29 to attract international attention and interest in investing in Nepal."Under the visionary and able leadership of His Highness the Amir, the State of Qatar has made tremendous and outstanding achievements in all-round development ranging from socio-economic advancement to infrastructure building to human resource development to advancement in science and technology to sports. Holding world-class events like FIFA World Cup 2022, the 2006 Asian Games, AFC Asian Cup 2023, Doha Forum, and Expo 2023 Doha is a testimony to the fact that Qatar stands on the world map with impressive progress and distinct strength," he said, leaving a lasting impression in the hearts and minds of people worldwide."The envoy also commended Qatar's active and effective diplomacy on the global stage, noting that the State has established an impressive and shining diplomacy resume, excelling in global mediation efforts. "The political and economic openness of the State of Qatar has significantly contributed to the maintenance of world peace and security, humanity and prosperity taking centre stage," HE added, highlighting that Nepal can benefit from Qatars prosperity through elevated diplomatic ties; thus further accelerating economic cooperation, foreign direct investments, bilateral trade, and people-to-people connections.Regarding Qatar's prosperous economy, the ambassador noted Qatars economy is one of the regions strongest economies and one of the worlds most promising ones. Qatar has maintained balanced growth rates despite global challenges and has enhanced its economic position on the world map in accordance with the policies in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030, laying the foundations for a diversified and competitive knowledge-based economy.At the end of his remarks to QNA, the ambassador of Nepal to the State of Qatar Dr. Naresh Bikram Dhakal pointed out that since establishing diplomatic relations in 1977, the two countries have enjoyed cordial, intimate, and excellent relations based on friendliness, mutual trust, respect, understanding, support and cooperation. He affirmed that his government attaches great priority to its relations with the State of Qatar.

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani arrived in Dhaka on Monday, on a state visit to the friendly People's Republic of Bangladesh.His Highness the Amir was welcomed upon arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by the President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh Mohammed Shahabuddin.His Highness the Amir was also welcomed by the Member of Parliament and Minister for Liberation War Affairs Mozammel Haque, the Member of Parliament and Minister of Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan, the Member of Parliament and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Hasan Mahmud, the Member of Parliament and Minister of State for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Shofiqur Rahman Choudhury, HE the Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Bangladesh Saree Ali Mahdi Saeed Al Qahtani, the Ambassador of Bangladesh to the State of Qatar Mohammed Nazrul Islam, alongside several high-ranking officials in the Bangladeshi government, a number of the Ambassadors of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries, and members of the Qatari Embassy.His Highness the Amir was accorded official reception upon arrival.His Highness the Amir is accompanied by an official delegation.Four warplanes of the Bangladesh Air Force escorted His Highness the Amir's plane as it entered Bangladesh's airspace to welcome His Highness's visit.

The Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina Wajed stressed that her country warmly welcomes the visit of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, describing the visit as a landmark in the path of strengthening the bilateral relations and taking them to a new horizon.In an exclusive interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), Sheikh Hasina said: "The government and people of Bangladesh are looking forward to welcoming His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to Bangladesh. I hope that the visit of His Highness the Amir will represent a landmark in the path of strengthening the relations between the two brotherly countries and also will open-up new areas of cooperation between the two countries."She added that the visit of His Highness the Amir this year to Bangladesh would be very significant as both countries are celebrating the auspicious anniversary of 50 years of establishment of diplomatic relations. "The 50th anniversary of establishing Bangladesh-Qatar ties is a milestone event in our bilateral relations." She pointed out that the two countries should work more closely to undertake mutually beneficial programs, actions, and initiatives on this occasion not only to exhibit the strength of our relations but also to advance this important partnership.She stated that during the visit of His Highness the Amir, the two countries will discuss a broad range of areas and sectors, including economic and technical cooperation, trade and investment, defense cooperation, energy cooperation, employment of Bangladeshi skilled workforce in Qatar, climate change, education, charitable engagements, immigration, tourism, culture and sports, ports, and human resource development.Sheikh Hasina said that some agreements and MoUs will be signed during the visit which would pave the way to take the relations between the two countries to a new horizon, in addition to exchanging views on the most important regional and international developments of common concern, with a focus on some issues such as the Palestinian cause.She praised the dynamic and visionary leadership of His Highness the Amir for providing a high standard of living for Qatari people, achieving one of the highest per capita incomes and launching Qatar National Vision-2030 to transform Qatar into an advanced society capable of sustaining its development, adding "Under the leadership of HH the Amir, Qatar has witnessed an exemplary success story in the sectors of development, diplomacy, sports, international and regional peace and stability."She appreciated Qatar's continued successes in hosting international events, including sporting events, such as the FIFA World Cup 2022, the most distinguished edition in history, and the Asian Football Cup 2023. She also pointed to Doha's hosting of the International Horticultural Exhibition (Expo 2023 Doha), considering them "another strong evidence of Qatars success story".In this regard, Sheikh Hasina expressed happiness at her countrys contribution, through manpower, to Qatars journey towards the World Cup 2022 and other sporting tournaments and international events.. and said: "Bangladeshi Workers made significant contributions to the construction of state-of-the-art stadiums and other infrastructure, in addition to the participation of a good number of Bangladeshi volunteers during tournaments particularly World Cup and Asian Cup," stressing: "We will continue our cooperation and contribution to sport events that Doha will host in the future."Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1974, Bangladesh and Qatar have been maintaining excellent bilateral relations, she said, adding the relations have witnessed visible progress in recent years through regular bilateral visits, an increase in manpower export, substantive engagements, a common position on regional and international issues, and close cooperation in the international arena to promote peace, stability, and development.She pointed to her visits to Doha during 2023 and her meeting with HH the Amir, saying: "The existing friendly relations have strengthened further after my two successive visits in March and May 2023, during which I met His Highness the Amir and discussed many important issues of common interest.She continued by saying: "Qatar and Bangladesh consider each other as friendly countries and important development partners in materializing Bangladeshs Vision 2041 and Qatars Vision 2030", noting that Bangladeshs opening up to the region through newer forms of connectivity and cooperation matrix is leading to newer economics.In this context, she stressed that the ultimate objective is surely to strengthen the bonds of fraternity and friendship between the two friendly countries and the peoples further, which would elevate the bilateral relations to greater heights, adding that the exchange of visits create the opportunity to take the relations to a new height.She touched on the areas of bilateral cooperation that witnessed growth over the past years, including cooperation in the fields of labor, energy, defense, trade, culture, education, and other fields, many of which were framed in memorandums of understanding and joint cooperation agreements.She stated: "The bilateral trade exceeded the two billion dollar mark during the last FY 2021-2022 and is on the rise. The relationship is fast moving towards an economic partnership," adding "I will say that we have achieved a lot bilaterally but the better part of cooperation is still to come."She pointed out that despite the diverse levels of economic development, there is yet room and opportunities in areas like trade and commerce, investment, education, agriculture, and climate change "where both countries can engage through so many new forms and modalities".Sheikh Hasina considered cooperation with Qatar in the field of energy another milestone in the process of strong bilateral relations between the two countries, adding: "Qatar remains our top priority for LNG imports. We expect that through a working environment based on good faith and effective communication, our cooperation and support will continue to grow, not only in the LNG sector but also in other areas."She continued: "As a relatively cleaner fuel source, LNG is a priority to meet the increasing energy demand. Importing LNG will help fulfill the national gas grid network established across the country."She added: "We hope to overcome the upcoming challenges in meeting our energy needs with the support of QatarEnergy, especially as the world faces an energy crisis in the volatile situation arising from the Russia-Ukraine war.She praised Qatar's commitment to international cooperation and active member of a number of international and regional organizations such as the United Nations, the Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the OIC, and other organizations.She said: "This keenness on enhancing international cooperation is visible and clear in Qatars national vision of 2030 which highlights the role of Qatar on the economic, political, and cultural levels especially within the framework of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Arab League, and the OIC."Sheikh Hasina also praised Qatars respectable position in the region for its political, economic, and cultural openness, which contributes significantly to strengthening relations with various countries in the region and beyond.She stressed the common values and principles of the State of Qatar and Bangladesh in their international relations, saying: "Bangladesh and Qatar focus on the consolidation of peace and stability, as prescribed by their respective constitutions. It is based on the principles of encouraging the settlement of international disputes by peaceful means, supporting the right of people to self-determination, non-interference in the internal affairs of other states, and cooperation with peace-loving nations."She added that the two countries remain deeply committed to the charter of the UN and the principles of the OIC in their common pursuit of peace, development, and justice in the world. "Both Bangladesh and Qatar share common values in many issues. Both Bangladesh and Qatar contribute significantly to UN Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding operations/activities and act as mediators to bridge differences among the conflicting groups to establish peace, security, and well-being of the people."She continued: "With these similarities, I would say that the State of Qatar has established itself as the world's main mediator, leaving a clear imprint on the map of negotiations and peace talks, and settling crises and disputes. Qatar has played decisive roles in strengthening international peace and security through successful mediations on many issues that had a significant impact on world peace, including its efforts in reaching a humanitarian pause between the Israeli entity and Hamas movement which resulted in the release of a number of hostages."In this context, Sheikh Hasina also expressed her high appreciation for the support of the State of Qatar to her country in the Rohingya refugee issue. She hoped that this support would continue for the early return of the refugees to their homeland.She noted that Bangladesh achieved robust economic growth between 6% and 7% over the past two decades which has been one of the highest in the world. She added Bangladesh is on the right track to graduate from the UNs Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in 2026 to become a model of development for other countries.She stated that Bangladeshs export volume is around USD 55 billion and received an FDI of USD 2.8 billion in 2022, and it is among the worlds top ten remittance-earning countries.She said that Bangladesh is now the worlds 35th largest economy "with a GDP of USD 460 billion. We are projected to become the 24th largest by the first half of the 2030s."She pointed to government plans to make Bangladesh a fully technologically smart country by 2041, as well as its efforts to promote trade and business for the foreign private sector and develop investment systems as "Bangladesh offers one of the most liberal investment regimes in the region. The incentives being offered include tax holidays, concessionary duty on machinery import, allowing 100% foreign equity, profit repatriation, among others.She added that the government is setting up 100 Special Economic Zones with coordinated facilities. There are so far five country-specific Economic Zones in the making, while calling on Qatari businessmen and investors to invest in Bangladesh and stressed the government's openness to investment proposals in the country's infrastructure and logistics sectors.She also expressed her country's desire for Qatari investments in the energy sector, including renewable energy and to benefit from Qatar's expertise in offshore gas exploration, energy storage and distribution systems, and cooperation in the field of agriculture and agricultural manufacturing. She said: "We have plans to set up three special tourism zones, where Qatar can engage in both real estate and hospitality sectors."Regarding developments in the Middle East, she stressed that Bangladesh and Qatar share the same position on the Palestine issue, condemn the genocide and urge for an immediate ceasefire and quick delivery of humanitarian assistance, praising the efforts of Qatar for calm in Gaza that "have been highly lauded by the international community".In a related context, she stressed her countrys firm position rejecting the Israeli occupation and calling for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. She continued by saying: "As a State Party to the Genocide Convention, Bangladesh calls on all states to respect their obligations under the Genocide Convention to prevent and punish the crime of genocide."Sheikh Hasina Wajed concluded her interview with QNA by emphasizing the importance of the visit of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to advance relations, enhance areas of cooperation between the two countries, and exchange views on the latest developments at the regional and international levels, in addition to discussing issues and topics of common interest.