Kathmandu, 28 June: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is set to leave for Spain today, leading the Nepali delegation to attend the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD-4) organized by the United Nations.
The visit is being undertaken at the cordial invitation of UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, as the conference is scheduled to be held in Seville, Spain.
The conference will bring together world leaders, global and regional institutions, financial and trade bodies, business representatives, civil society, and relevant representatives from the UN system. Nepal will advocate on behalf of Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and other vulnerable nations. Discussions will also focus on the implementation of investment commitments made by developed countries for the benefit of poor and small nations.
During the visit, Prime Minister Oli is scheduled to address the conference. He will also pay a courtesy call on King Felipe VI of Spain and hold bilateral talks with his Spanish counterpart, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Additionally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that PM Oli will hold sideline meetings with leaders from other countries.
The conference will take place from Asar 16 to 19 (June 30 to July 3), and Prime Minister Oli is scheduled to depart for Madrid via Doha, Qatar at 6:00 PM today. He is expected to return on Asar 20 (Friday, July 5) at 4:45 PM.
This high-level visit from Nepal is expected to contribute to increased investment from developed nations and help attract more tourists from Spain and other European countries.
The 21-member delegation includes First Lady Radhika Shakya, Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister Bishnu Prasad Rimal, Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai, Finance Secretary Ghanshyam Upadhyay, Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers Raj Kumar Shrestha, Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister Rajesh Bajracharya, PM’s personal physician Dr. Smriti Shakya, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Krishna Prasad Dhakal, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Finance Dhaniram Sharma, and Chief of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kumar Raj Kharel, among others.
In total, there will be a 29-member Nepali delegation, with 21 members departing from Kathmandu and 8 joining from Spain and New York.
The delegation will also include Shanil Nepal, Nepal’s Ambassador to Spain, and Lok Bahadur Thapa, Nepal’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
