President Paudel embarks on Qatar visit

Kathmandu, Nov 3: President Ramchandra Paudel has today left for Doha, the capital of Qatar, to participate in the Second World Summit for Social Development to be held there from November 4 to 6.

The President is leading a 12-member Nepali delegation to the Summit at the invitation of Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

President Paudel was seen off at Tribhuvan International Airport by Vice President Ramsahay Prasad Yadav, Prime Minister Sushila Karki and Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal.

Also on hand to see off the President were special-class government officials, heads of security bodies, representatives of foreign diplomatic missions in Nepal, among others, were present. 

A contingent of the Nepali Army presented a guard of honour to the President Paudel on the occasion.

President Paudel is scheduled to address the Plenary Meetings and the High-Level Roundtable of the Summit on November 4.

The President is scheduled to hold meetings with the UN Secretary General and the Amir of Qatar, it is said. On the sidelines of the Summit, the President will also meet some world leaders attending the event.

It is said that the Summit would make a shared commitment on cooperation and assistance for social development.  The Summit is also expected to hold intensive discussions on development inequalities in the world, demographic imbalances and the impacts of technology on the society.    

The First World Summit for Social Development was held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1995. The current Second Summit is taking place after 30 years. 

President Paudel is accompanied by his spouse Sabita Paudel, Kiran Kumar Pokhrel, the media expert to the President, the Secretary of the President's Office, and other senior officials of the Government of Nepal.

The President and the delegation will return to Kathmandu on November 6.(RSS)