President's Qatar visit successful: Foreign Secretary Rai

Kathmandu, Nov 6: President Ramchandra Paudel returned home on Thursday after attending the 'Second World Summit for Social Development' held in Doha, Qatar.

Briefing the media persons at VVIP Lounge of Tribhuvan International Airport on President Paudel's visit following his home arrival, Secretary at the Foreign Ministry, Amrit Bahadur Rai, asserted that the President's visit was successful. 

He informed the visit has strengthened Nepal's presence in the international forum and made a significant contribution to raise voice in favour of the developing countries like Nepal.

Addressing the main session of the Summit, President Paudel expressed Nepal's firm commitment towards social justice, inclusion and sustainable development.  He also called for further cooperation and collaboration among the world community for quality education, health service for all and women and youth empowerment. 

The President had departed for Doha on November 3 to participate in the Summit at the invitation of Qatar's Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, leading a Nepali delegation. 

Stating that inclusion and shared prosperity are foundation of sustainable peace, prosperity and human dignity, President Paudel had laid emphasis on building a future ensuring socio-economic development for all. 

Secretary Rai added that the President had pointed out the need of equitable access to resources for just, inclusive and sustainable development, effective implementation of Doha Declaration and international collaboration.  

In his statement at the Second World Summit for Social Development on Tuesday, President Paudel said the Summit would be meaningful for developing countries like Nepal when international community can take solid steps to support the development efforts of developing countries, particularly LDCs. 

"I believe, the Doha Declaration can be a lighthouse for our future actions. This Summit must be followed by bold and coordinated actions."  Stating that the Doha Declaration stands as a renewed collective pledge towards building a more just, inclusive, equitable and sustainable world, he called upon all nations to translate commitments into tangible actions, ensuring that equality, dignity and opportunity for all become the bedrock of our shared future.

The Head of the State had also shared the salient feature of Nepal's constitution like inclusive governance and the empowerment of marginalized communities—women, youth, ethnic and indigenous peoples, Dalits, and persons with differently abled persons, among others. 

Stating that access to quality education, healthcare, and social protection for all has been prioritized, he said Nepal has made notable achievements, with poverty halved since 1995, SDG progress exceeding the global average, clean energy reaching over 95 percent of the population and gender parity in all areas including education has improved. 

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres paid a courtesy call on President Paudel during his stay in Qatar. (RSS)