Jun 05, Kathmandu - Whether Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will visit the European country Spain and the Central Asian country Turkmenistan or not is a separate matter. However, Prime Minister Oli has the opportunity to visit these two countries for two important programs under the United Nations bodies in the coming Asad and Shrawan in a month.

Although the issue of visiting Turkmenistan remains uncertain, officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have said that Oli is almost certain to visit Spain.

According to sources, the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (SFD-4) under the United Nations is being held in Seville, Spain from 16-19 Asadha (30 June-3 July). The conference will address new and emerging issues, as well as express its views on the urgent needs and reform of the international financial architecture to fully implement the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations.

“After Donald Trump was elected president in the US, aid to other countries has been suspended. This has also affected Nepal. Due to Trump’s decision, it is certain that aid from European countries will also be reduced,” said an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “In this situation, the ‘SFD-4’ conference is important for Nepal. It is beneficial for Nepal that the Prime Minister participates in the conference to mobilize international support for Nepal’s sustainable development.”

The third conference of landlocked developing countries is being held in the Central Asian nation of Turkmenistan from 20-23 Shrawan (5-8 August). This body is also under the United Nations.

Being a landlocked and developing country, Nepal has been prioritizing such conferences held under the auspices of the United Nations. For this reason, officials say that Prime Minister Oli is more likely to participate in this conference.

“The decision on whether the Prime Minister will attend or not will be taken after the decision of the Council of Ministers,” the official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added, “but so far, preparations have been made on the basis of representation at the Prime Minister level.”