ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The foreign minister of Nepal Mahendra Bahadur Panday called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Islamabad on Thursday.
The ambassador of Nepal to Pakistan Bharat Raj Paudyal and the prime minister’s special assistant Tariq Fatemi were also present in the meeting.
During the meeting, the prime minister said that Pakistan wanted to nurture closer economic and cultural relations with Nepal.
The prime minister said that bilateral trade between Pakistan and Nepal is not reflective of their political ties and the potential that exists in both the countries. He said that institutional mechanisms like the joint economic commission need to be made more effective for the purpose.
Sharif said that apart from strengthening bilateral relations with Nepal, Pakistan is particularly keen to promote the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) activities in partnership with Nepal.
Nawaz Sharif said that resolution of disputes between SAARC countries is important for SAARC’s progress and Nepal can play its due role in this regard.
The two sides acknowledged in the meeting that it is important for the SAARC to develop economic partnerships with major countries within the region, which is essential for the SAARC’s growth.
The prime minister wished Nepal success in the upcoming SAARC Summit and said that Pakistan is keen to participate in it at the highest level.
