Dubai/Abu Dhabi: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister and Vice-President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Wednesday received Nepalese President Bidhya Devi Bhandari, who is on a visit to the UAE.
The two leaders discussed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen them.
The president of Nepal thanked Shaikh Mohammad for the humanitarian aid provided to her country by the UAE and the leading role Dubai Cares is playing to develop the education sector in Nepal.
Present at the meeting were Reem Bint Ebrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State for International Cooperation, and Khalifa Saeed Sulaiman, director-general of the Department of Protocol and Hospitality in Dubai, along with the UAE ambassador to Nepal Saeed Hamdan.
Earlier on Wednesday, Bhandari attended the opening of an international health forum in Abu Dhabi. She visited the forum titled ‘Reaching the Last Mile: Mobilising Together to Eliminate Infectious Disease’.
On Tuesday, Bhandari was received by Dr Amal Al Qubaisi, Speaker of the Federal National Council (FNC).
Dr Al Qubaisi and Bhandari exchanged views on the latest regional and international developments including the situation in Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Libya, stressing the importance of realising world security and stability.
They also condemned terrorist acts against innocent people and recognised the need for international coordination and cooperation to counter all forms of terrorism and eliminate sources of its financing.
Bhandari expressed her country’s desire to bolster ties of friendship and cooperation with the UAE.
Later on Tuesday, Bhandari visited the Wahat Al Karama (Oasis of Dignity), a memorial built to honour the UAE’s martyrs and their sacrifices to defend their country and its achievements.
Bhandari was accompanied by Shaikh Khalifa Bin Tahnoun Bin Mohammad Al Nahyan, director of the Martyrs’ Families’ Affairs Office at the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court. She inspected the guard of honour and laid a wreath at the memorial.
She then toured the memorial and visited the Pavilion of Honour, where she was briefed by Shaikh Khalifa Bin Tahnoun about the pavilion, which bears the names of UAE martyrs.
Bhandari and her delegation also visited Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
The Nepalese president was shown around the tomb of the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and briefed by Yousuf Al Obaidli, director-general of the Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre, on the unique leadership qualities embodied by the nation’s founding father.
During the tour, Bhandari and her delegation were also briefed on Islamic architecture and the history of the mosque, which plays an important role in promoting intercultural communication and enhancing the culture of tolerance and peaceful existence among people across the world.
At the end of Tuesday’s visit, Bhandari was presented with a copy of the book, ‘Spaces of Light’, one of the publications of the Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre, and a copy of the book, ‘The Houses of God’, which deals with the history of mosques in Islamic history.
