Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Wednesday held a telephone conversation with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, renewing Nepal’s request for Egypt’s assistance in securing the release of Bipin Joshi, who has been held hostage by Hamas militants since October 7, 2023.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the prime minister appreciated Egypt’s role in mediating the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas and urged Al-Sisi to continue extending goodwill and diplomatic efforts for Joshi’s release.

The Egyptian president assured that Egypt would prioritise efforts to facilitate the release of all remaining hostages, including Joshi, in the second phase of the hostage exchange.

The exact condition of Joshi, a Nepali youth held captive by Hamas militants, remains unknown.

Joshi was abducted by Hamas while he was in Israel under the “Learn and Earn” agricultural study programme. He was taken hostage from Alumim Kibbutz. Hamas abducted 251 individuals during the assault. Many of these hostages have been released by both sides, but many others are still in the captivity of either Israel or Hamas.

On a separate note, the Egyptian president also appreciated Nepal’s initiative to host Sagarmatha Sambad and extended his best wishes for its success. Prime Minister invited Al-Sisi to participate in the dialogue.

Sagarmatha Sambad is Nepal’s flagship international climate change and environmental sustainability dialogue forum. The government plans to invite 160 and 200 foreign delegates to the upcoming Sagarmatha Sambad scheduled from May 16 to 18 in Kathmandu. The theme of the first edition of the Sagarmatha Sambad is “Climate Change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity,” which will see heads of state and governments, representatives from several multilateral and donor communities, experts and others.

The prime minister emphasised the importance of global cooperation in addressing climate challenges and expressed confidence that Egypt’s participation would add value to the discussions.

The foreign ministry said the two leaders discussed bilateral ties, multilateral cooperation, and high-level visits.