Kathmandu: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has termed his recent official visit to Thailand and participation in the Sixth BIMSTEC Summit as highly successful, meaningful, and fruitful, saying the engagements have elevated Nepal’s bilateral relations and regional cooperation.

Upon his return from Bangkok, PM Oli addressed a press conference at the VVIP Lounge of Tribhuvan International Airport, where he highlighted the achievements of the visit and shared the outcomes of his bilateral and multilateral meetings.

“This visit has taken Nepal-Thailand relations to new heights,” PM Oli said. He held constructive talks with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, focusing on strengthening cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, agriculture, tourism, education, human resource development, and culture.

Both countries, which share Buddhist heritage, agreed to deepen economic and cultural ties, with Thailand expressing commitment to support Nepal’s national vision of ‘Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali’, particularly in IT, infrastructure, tourism, and agriculture sectors.

The visit also included the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote cultural and tourism exchange between Nepal and Thailand.

Regional Cooperation and Summit Engagements
During his address at the Sixth BIMSTEC Summit, PM Oli stressed the urgent need for regional cooperation to tackle global challenges such as economic inequality, climate change, and political instability. He emphasized that Nepal's national goals align with BIMSTEC's broader vision, particularly the Bangkok Declaration and the implementation of BIMSTEC Vision 2030.

PM Oli invited all BIMSTEC member states to participate in the first edition of the Sagarmatha Sambaad, a regional dialogue platform initiated by Nepal to address pressing issues like climate change and sustainability.

He also conveyed Nepal’s condolences to the governments and people of Thailand and Myanmar for the recent earthquake disaster, expressing sympathy for the victims and wishing a swift recovery to the injured.

Diplomatic Engagements
On the sidelines of the Summit, PM Oli held bilateral meetings with:

-Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

-Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya

-Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay

-Myanmar Prime Minister Min Aung Hlaing

The discussions revolved around regional integration, development cooperation, and sustainable progress within the BIMSTEC framework.

Additionally, PM Oli encouraged Nepali and Thai business communities to invest in Nepal, assuring them of a safe, transparent, and investor-friendly environment.

Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai also presented an official statement summarizing the visit.

PM Oli had departed for Thailand on April 1, leading a high-level Nepali delegation at the invitation of Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra.