Minister for Foreign Affairs Arzu Rana and her Canadian counterpart Mélanie Joly held bilateral talks in Ottawa on Wednesday.

According to Minister Rana's secretariat, the discussion focused on strengthening Nepal-Canada relations, mutual interests, economic investments, and partnerships.

Minister Rana is in Canada to attend the Women Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

During their meeting, the two ministers discussed the diplomatic relations established in 1965 and expressed satisfaction with the strong ties between the two nations.

Rana appreciated Canada’s support for Nepal’s democratic process and constitution-building efforts. She informed the Canadian minister that Nepal’s Parliament recently passed an amendment bill to the transitional justice law, marking a significant step towards completing the peace process.

The foreign minister also thanked Canada for its support during challenging times, such as the 2015 earthquake and the Covid-19 pandemic. Her secretariat said she acknowledged Canada's long-standing economic assistance and its role as a development partner for Nepal.

Likewise, Minister Rana urged Canada to establish an embassy in Nepal, citing the growing number of Nepali students studying in Canada and the increasing number of Canadian tourists visiting Nepal. She highlighted the need for further cooperation in various sectors, including research, business, and hydropower, where Canada has extensive experience.

“The two foreign ministers also underlined the importance of cooperation in international forums in the agendas of shared interest, such as promoting multilateralism, addressing climate change and implementing the sustainable development goals,” stated a press release issued by the Embassy of Nepal in Ottawa after the meeting between the two ministers.

Minister Rana also emphasised Nepal’s contributions to UN peacekeeping missions, noting that 2,554 Nepali women have served, with 608 currently deployed.

The two ministers agreed to hold further bilateral talks in Kathmandu this December.

According to Minister Rana’s secretariat, Canada has agreed to continue supporting women’s empowerment in Nepal and collaborate on its ‘Feminist Foreign Policy’. Canadian Foreign Minister Joly encouraged Nepal to work together on this initiative and praised Nepal’s recent progress in inclusivity and women’s rights.

Joly also expressed Canada’s readiness to support Nepal through the Canadian Pension Fund and responded positively to Foreign Minister Rana’s proposal to establish a Canadian embassy in Nepal.

Minister Joly highlighted the increasing presence of Nepalis in Canada, praising them for their honesty and dedication to work. She reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to assisting Nepal in women’s empowerment, pledging support for establishing a women’s university and promoting girls’ education.

Additionally, Joly welcomed Minister Rana’s proposal for cooperation in e-governance, expressing willingness to move forward with mutual collaboration. On the occasion, Minister Rana invited Minister Joly to visit Nepal.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Rana met with the chair and members of the Canada-Nepal Parliamentary Friendship Group. According to a statement from Nepal’s foreign ministry, Sonia Sidhu, chair of the parliamentary group and a Member of Parliament, expressed her pleasure at hosting the first official visit by a Nepali foreign minister to Canada.

Both sides reviewed the strong ties between the parliaments of Nepal and Canada, underscoring the importance of promoting regular exchanges and sharing experiences between the parliamentarians of both nations. They also expressed satisfaction with the growing people-to-people relations and acknowledged the valuable contributions of the Nepali diaspora in strengthening this bond.