Ireland urged to relax travel restrictions on Nepal

Nepal has urged Ireland to relax the travel restrictions on the country one year after it was hit by a devastating earthquake.

Acting Nepali Ambassador to Ireland Tej Bahadur Chhetri made the request in a meeting with Asia Pacific Deputy Director at Ireland’s Foreign Ministry and desk officer.  

Ireland had issued travel warnings to its citizens following the earthquake of April 25, 2015. Though UK and US lifted the travel warnings to their citizens to visit earthquake affected regions of Nepal, Ireland had only lifted the restrictions partially.

According to Chhetri, he also urged the Irish officials to put Nepal in priority list of Ireland’s Oversees Development Programme (ODP), form an all-party parliamentary committee and consultation mechanism before organising Nepal conference to one-year anniversary of devastating earthquake that struck Nepal.

Altogether 11 countries including three Asian—Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos—among other African countries are currently receiving Irish aid.

Along with ambassador Chhetri, UK representative of Nepal Tourism Board Pashupati Bhandari, Ireland representative of Nepal Tourism Board Dipesh Man Shakya and social worker Kapil Rijal were present during the meeting.

The Irish officials were also requested for a high-level visit to Nepal and invest in education and health sector of Nepal.

At the meeting, Chhetri also briefed the meeting on the adoption of new constitution in Nepal and progress in post-earth quake rebuilding.

Meanwhile, Nepali Embassy in London, Nepal Ireland Society, Action Aid and Engineers without Borders jointly organised Nepal conference in Irish Capital Dublin on April 30. The programme was focused on post-earthquake reconstruction, operation of joint project, and extension of network, the embassy source informed.

source:the kathmandu post,1 may 2016