KATHMANDU: Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Gyawali has said Nepal enjoys cordial and friendly relations with its neighbors. He added that Nepal has have strengthened trust, goodwill and expanded the scope of cooperation and economic partnership with India and China, Nepal’s two immediate neighbors.

Speaking at a program organized by Nepal Council of World Affairs in Kathmandu today, Minister Gyawali maintained that Nepal is currently striving to achieve economic development and prosperity.

He went on to say that Nepal has mobilized diplomatic apparatus to pursue the objectives. The government aims at promoting foreign direct investment, tourism, technology transfer, and export trade, he added.

Minister Gyawali further stated that Nepal’s foreign policy aims at safeguarding sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and protection of national interest. “Within this framework, promoting Nepal’s credentials as an open and progressive democratic State at the international level; and pursuit of effective economic diplomacy to the service of overarching objective of “Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali” remain twin goals of our external engagements,” he said.

On the occasion, he said that Nepal’s unflinching commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms will be stronger with political and economic empowerment of the people.