Kathmandu: Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has arrived in Kathmandu on Tuesday afternoon.
President Ram Chandra Paudel accorded a warm welcome to the visiting dignitary at the special lounge of the Tribhuvan International Airport amid the guards of honour.
According to the Foreign Ministry, the Qatari Emir will meet with President Paudel at his office, Shital Niwas. The President is scheduled to host a state banquet in honour of the Emir. Similarly, Qatari monarch and his delegation will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Wednesday.
Following the talks, both leaders will witness the signing ceremony of bilateral agreements and memorandums of understanding, officials said.
‘Protect Migrant Workers Rights’
Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch, a New York-based human rights group, has urged the governments of Bangladesh and Nepal to prioritise labour protections for migrant workers.
“It is important for Qatar, Bangladesh, and Nepal to go beyond exchanging diplomatic pleasantries over their longstanding labour ties and seize this moment to publicly commit to concrete, enforceable protectiosn that address the serious abuses that migrant workers in Qatar continue to face,” said Michael Page, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch.
Qatar-based jobs have enabled migrant workers to send remittances back home to their families, but many workers leave Qatar worse off than before they migrated. They experience abuses that include wage theft, contract violations, and chronic illness linked to unsafe working conditions, the organisation said.
Some 400,000 Nepali workers are working in Qatar , which is a major source of remittance for the Himalayan nation.
Visit to Dhaka
Emir of Qatar visited Dhaka early this week on a state visit. During the Emir’s visit, both the countries signed agreements on avoidance of double taxation and fiscal evasion, cooperation in legal matters, shipping, mutual investment promotion and protection, exchange of prisoners and formation of a joint business council, reports said.
Comment