Minister Khanal, Foreign Minister of Korea, Cho, Hold Meeting

Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Korea, Cho Hyeon, held discussion on various issues including search, rescue and relief activities after the recent Bhotekoshi flood in Nepal as well as bilateral relations.

During the meeting held at the Foreign Ministry on Sunday, they held serious discussion on the issues concerning search and rescue operations for the people of Korea, who are also missing in the flood, according to the Foreign Ministry.

On the occasion, Foreign Minister extended gratefulness to the Korean government for sending ‘inter-agency rapid response team’ and Korea’s disaster relief team to help Nepal in search and rescue operations at flood-hit areas as well as humanitarian support and relief materials for flood-affected people.

Saying Nepal has accorded high priority to post-disaster reconstruction, he opined that reconstruction activities would be carried out based on ‘build back better’ concept and believed that Nepal would get continuous support from Korea for this task.

Similarly, the Korean Foreign Minister expressed the Korean government’s willingness to provide necessary support for post-disaster reconstruction and resettlement initiatives in Nepal, shared the Foreign Ministry.

Underlining that there should be historical responsibility of the international community towards the loss of lives and properties as well as damages of infrastructures facing by countries like Nepal due to climate change, the Korean Minister stressed that Nepal and Korea should cooperate to make the world community more sensitive towards the impacts of climate change and subsequent loses.

He expressed the view that countries like Nepal should jointly flag the voice about challenges and damages they are facing due to climate change in the international forums like United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP).

Korean Minister Cho expressed commitment that Korea would raise voice on the issue of financial support to be provided by international community to Nepal for its losses due to climate change.

On the occasion, both the ministers expressed commitment to continue close cooperation to take bilateral relations to a new height by further strengthening friendly relations, mutual trust, partnership and cooperation.

Nepal and Korea have been collaborating in different sectors including labour, development partnership, trade, investment, technology and people-to-people relations. (RSS)