Her Majesty opens meet, exhibition

Kathmandu, Nov. 19 (RSS): Her Majesty Queen Aishwarya Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah inaugurated a handicrafts exhibition and a workshop seminar on "the challenges of fair trade in the new millennium" organised by the fair trade group-Nepal amidst a function here today.

Handicraft items produced by various handicraft industries are on display at the three-day exhibition.

On the occasion, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Ramkrishna Tamrakar said that we were still not able to do much, on a commercial basis, for the utilisation and marketing of the skills and technology available in a small and culturally rich country like Nepal.

Currently some 5,000 households are engaged in the handicraft business in Nepal, he said and expressed the government’s commitment to assist in promoting the handicraft industry and its commercialisation.

Chairperson of the fair trade group-Nepal Mira Bhattarai said the handicraft industry had not been able to foster well because Nepali consumers had not cultivated much preferences for Nepali goods.

Her Majesty the Queen observed the exhibition after the inauguration.

The workshop is scheduled to start on tuesday, according to the organisers.

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