Govt prioritising safety of Nepalis in conflict zones: Minister Dr Rana

Kathmandu, June 23: Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Arzu Rana Deuba has said that the government is working with priority for the safety of Nepalis in areas affected by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, while taking the potential impacts seriously.     

Responding to queries raised by MPs during the discussion on the appropriation bill in today's House of Representatives meeting, she said, "The ministry issued travel-related information with detailed contact details on June 15, requesting Nepalis currently in Israel and Iran to exercise maximum caution from a safety perspective."     

Minister Rana said that the Nepali ambassadors in the respective countries have been instructed to coordinate for the safety of Nepali citizens. Mentioning that an 'online portal' was launched on June 17 to collect details of Nepalese citizens, she informed that 885 individuals have registered their information on the portal so far, and the registration process is increasing.

The Foreign Affairs Minister stated, "On June 18, all Nepali missions in the Gulf have been instructed to facilitate the process of providing online visas and other assistance for Nepalis who wish to travel to safe locations or neighbouring countries, in light of the current suspension of air routes in those countries."     

In this context, she mentioned that the Jordanian government documented on June 19, 2025, the need to provide necessary assistance to foreign nationals coming from Israel to their borders. The minister also stated that the Nepali embassy has communicated with the ILO and the IOM regarding facilitation on this matter. Minister Deuba informed the parliament that a request was made to the Indian government to rescue 16 Nepalis in Iran, and with the help of the Indian embassy in Iran, the process to bring back 11 of them to Nepal has begun.     

The remaining five are detained due to immigration laws, and the ministry is working through the Nepali Embassy in Doha to complete the paperwork for their return home. She also mentioned that efforts are underway for the prompt rescue and repatriation from Israel and Iran through coordination with the relevant bodies and the formation of a rapid response group. The Foreign Minister stated that the Nepal government has been continuously pursuing diplomatic efforts at both bilateral and multilateral levels for the release of Bipin Joshi since the beginning.     

The Minister added that Nepal has pursued economic diplomacy as one of the major tools of its foreign policy, and its missions abroad are being encouraged to get engaged in trade, foreign investment, tourism, and technology provision.     

Likewise, as he said, efforts are underway from the diplomatic missions to promote cultural and tourism diplomacy, adding that the Ministry is undertaking necessary works for the sustainability of Nepal's graduation from the category of the least developed country to a middle-income developing country. Nepal is scheduled to observe its graduation from the LDC to the developing nation in 2026.     

She made it clear before the session that the appointment of ambassadors is taking place as per the existing rules, and in the deputation of labour attachés, the Ministry follows the recommendations of the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security.     

As the Minister said, the number of missions and human resources for foreign services has been increased following the Ministry's Organisation and Management Survey. In addition to these, digital archiving and data management are among the priorities of the Ministry.     

The total budget allocation to the Ministry in the upcoming fiscal year has slightly increased compared to the previous year. However, the budget for other headings except the capital expenditures, has decreased.     

According to the Foreign Minister, as of today in the current fiscal year, revenue of Rs 8.10 billion has been collected while the total expenditures amounted to Rs 6.78 billion. "The capital expenditures amount to 50.09 per cent."     

Similarly, the Ministry remains highly vigilant in preventing any issues that could affect national security and interests. In line with our foreign policy, the Ministry is firmly committed to ensuring that Nepali territory is not used against any neighbouring country, the Minister added. (RSS)