UN Secretary-General Guterres arrives in Kathmandu

KATHMANDU: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has arrived in Kathmandu on a four-day official visit.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Prakash Saud greeted the UN Secretary-General in the VVIP lounge of the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu.

High ranking officials of the Government of Nepal and representatives of the UN Office in Nepal among others were present on the occasion. The Nepal Army also offered a guard of honour to Secretary-General Guterres.

Guterres arrived in Nepal at the invitation of Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

On the first day of his visit on Sunday, Secretary-General Guterres is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on President Ram Chandra Paudel at the Office of the President and PM Dahal at the Prime Minister’s office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The Secretary-General will have separate meetings with Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN-UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli at the New Baneshwor-based Federal Parliament building.

Likewise, Guterres is also scheduled to hold separate meetings with the Deputy Prime Minister duo, Purna Bahadur Khadka and Narayankaji Shrestha.

Following the meetings, he will observe the Patan Durbar Square, a heritage site of historical and archeological importance.

Prime Minister Dahal will host a banquet reception on Sunday evening in honour of Secretary-General Guterres.

In the course of his visit, the Secretary-General will move to Namche, Pokhara, Annapurna Base Camp and Lumbini on Monday.

According to the Parliament Secretariat, he is scheduled to address the joint session of the Federal parliament at 4 pm on Tuesday.

Guterres will discuss the matters relating to the peace process, sustainable development and climate change, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed.

The high-level visit of the UN Secretary-General taking place after a hiatus of around 15 years has been taken with importance.