Ambassador Gil Haskel, Head of MASHAV (Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation), left for Israel today upon completion of his five-day long official visit to Nepal. Earlier today, Ambassador Haskel called on the Prime Minister Mr. K P Sharma Oli.

While in Nepal, Ambassador Haskel called on several high-level Nepali dignitaries, including Hon. Ministers for Foreign Affairs; Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation; Agriculture and Livestock Development; Finance; Health and Population; and Education, Science and Technology as well as Hon. Chief Minister of Gandaki Province. Matters of bilateral relations as well as possible areas of cooperation including the establishment of agriculture centres of excellence in Nepal were discussed during the meetings.

Ambassador Haskel also visited Lamjung, Gulmi, Jhapa and Udayapur districts to observe the agricultural projects being operated in these regions as well as to interact with the stakeholders and explore potential areas and ways of cooperation. Dr.Anjan Shakya, Ambassador of Nepal to Israel and Benny Omer, Ambassador of Israel to Nepal accompanied Ambassador Haskel during these visits. Hikmat Kumar Karki, Minister for Internal Affairs and Law of Province No. 1 also joined the delegation in their visit to Jhapa and Udayapur.

During a meeting between Ambassador Haskel and Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi held on 11 December, overall bilateral cooperation relations between the two countries was reviewed, momentum created by the present visit towards further consolidating the cooperative relations was appraised, and need to establish some sort of bilateral follow-up mechanism to facilitate the execution of ideas generated during the visit was discussed.

They also discussed about organizing various events, including the exchange of high-level visits, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries next year. The Foreign Secretary hosted a dinner in honour of Ambassador Haskel yesterday. Ambassador Haskelwas in Nepal from 8 to 12 December 2019 at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.