Bhutanese side shows eagerness to solve refugee issue: Acharya

Biratnagar, Dec. 17 (RSS): Minister for Agriculture and Co-operatives Mahesh Acharya returned here yesterday from Thimpu, the capital of Bhutan, after handing over a letter from Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to the Prime Minister of Bhutan for the llth SAARC Summit to be held in Kathmandu.

Talking to RSS here today, Minister Acharya said he could see the eagerness and concern of the Bhutanese side for the early repatriation of Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal.

He said during his meetings with the King, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister of Bhutan, they all showed their eagerness and concern for resolving the Bhutanese refugee problem.

We can build many new bases for mutual relations between Nepal and Bhutan by solving the refugee problem, he said and expressed hope that a new relationship could develop between the two countries after resolution of the problem.

Referring to the conclusion of the refugee verification work at Khudunabari refugee camp in Jhapa, Minister Acharya said he feels an environment would be created for the dignified return of the refugees to their homeland once the modalities of verification are worked out.

He said during the upcoming llth SAARC Summit in Kathmandu discussions will be held on topics such as poverty alleviation, regional ties, development of free trade in South Asian countries and selection of common programmes.

Emphasis will also be given to putting in joint efforts at the regional level to discourage terrorist activities as all the countries of the region have been affected by terrorism, he added.

The llth SAARC Summit, the first of the 2lst century, is being held for making the structure and role of SAARC result-oriented, he said adding that this included giving momentum to regional trade and the structure of regional cooperation.

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