Nepal-Israel relations getting better: Minister Karki

Minister for Communications and Information Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki has said that the long-standing friendly relations between Nepal and Israel are getting better.

Speaking at a program organized by the Embassy of Israel in Nepal and the BP Museum Committee at Sundarijal on the occasion of the 62nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Minister Karki referred to the bilateral relationship being established during the tenure of the first elected Prime Minister BP Koirala. Although establishing relations with Israel was a challenging task at the time, Prime Minister Koirala did it with an understanding of the then situation, said Minister Karki.

Israel continues to remain an attractive destination for Nepali students and youths, especially in the field of agriculture.

Also speaking on the occasion, former Foreign Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat said that Nepal has been supporting Israel's independence, sovereignty and security in the past and expressed the commitment to continue the same position in the days to come.

On the occasion, former Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali stressed the need to further strengthen the 60-year-old relationship between Nepal and Israel.

Likewise, former Tourism Minister Hisila Yami said the role of the first elected Prime Minister BP Koirala was important in maintaining diplomatic relations with Israel. She said that Nepal should follow the example of Israel as it has made progress in many areas even though it is similar in size to the Bagmati province of Nepal.

Israeli Ambassador to Nepal Hanan Goder said that BP, the first elected Prime Minister of Nepal, had written a novel on Hitler and the Jews and that his commitment was to further strengthen the relationship between the two countries.

Former Nepali Ambassador to Israel Dr Anjan Shakya said that BP was an ideal personality of Nepal and even though the world had different views, he had established diplomatic relations by accepting Israel's independent existence on behalf of Nepal.

Diplomatic relations were established between Nepal and Israel on June 1, 1960. On the occasion, Museum Committee Chair Parshuram Pokharel said that BP had to spend more than eight years in Sundarijal jail, also because of the relationship established with Israel.