Nepalese minister's official trip disrupted in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: A Nepalese minister's official trip to Germany was disrupted at Abu Dhabi International Airport as he did not have a German visa stamped in his passport.

Nepal's Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Lokendra Bista Magar came out of Abu Dhabi Airport hotel on Tuesday evening on a transit visa issued by the UAE authorities, a senior Nepalese diplomat told Gulf News on Tuesday.

"He will stay at the Nepalese Embassy's accommodation until we arrange a German visa for him to continue the journey, Deepak Adhikari, Charge d'Affaires at the embassy said.

The minister who arrived at Abu Dhabi International Airport at 8.30pm Monday from Kathmandu along with his wife could not board the flight to Frankfurt scheduled at 1am on Tuesday, he said.

Not stamped

It was found that a German visa was not stamped in his passport although his wife's passport had it, the diplomat said.

"We are still checking how it happened, but it is assumed that somehow the visa was not stamped in his passport at the German Embassy at Kathmandu although both his and wife's applications and passports were submitted together. And neither he nor the Nepalese emigration officials at the airport noticed it," Adhikari said.

The German Embassy in Kathmandu was not immediately available for comment.