Honourable Ministers,
Excellencies,
Chief of the Army Staff,
Distinguished guests, Participants, Media persons
Ladies and Gentlemen
- It is indeed a distinct honor and privilege for me to be present at the opening ceremony of multi-national exercise “SHANTI PRAYAS-III” on peace support operations organized by Nepalese Army and co-hosted by the US Pacific Command.
- I am happy to see the presence of the wide array of guests, experts, trainers and participants from home and abroad.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
- Nepal is the country of honest and peace loving people; the land of Mt. Everest, and the birth place of Gautam Buddha, the apostle of peace. Nepal has always strived for peace and we have dearly paid the price for this. With experiences of past, Nepal has become more determined than ever to achieve prosperity through peace. We wish the same fortune for the countries struggling for peace and stability.
- As an active member of the United Nations, it has been our endeavor to contribute in whatever best way possible for the promotion of international peace and security under the aegis of the United Nations since we joined this world body on 14 December 1955. We have contributed to this process through our active engagements in the bureaus and boards of various UN Bodies and its Specialized Agencies. Nepal has been elected twice as non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.
- Nepal reposes an abiding faith in the principles and purposes enshrined in the UN Charter. We attach great importance to the centrality and indispensability of the United Nations in the multilateral affairs, especially in the maintenance of international peace and security. The Constitution of Nepal reflects our faith in the UN Charter as one of the guiding principles of Nepalese foreign policy. Let me reiterate that Nepal’s foreign policy is based on the principles of the UN Charter, non-alignment, principles of Panchsheel and promotion of regional cooperation through South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC).
- Acknowledging the fact that Promotion of International Peace and Security are issues of paramount importance for the United Nations, Nepal has been consistently supporting the United Nations efforts in the maintenance of international peace and security through continuous participation in the UN Peacekeeping missions. Nepalese peacekeepers have earned distinction and applauses for their sterling performances while keeping peace in difficult conflict zones around the world. Just now Chief of the Army Staff mentioned that Nepal has already provided over 115,000 military peacekeepers. In addition to this, there is a significant number of Nepal Police and Armed Police personnel contributing in this process. Similarly, hosts of Nepalese civilian experts have been serving as UN Volunteers and UN permanent staff. This displays our steadfast commitment to international peace and security.
- Protection of civilians remains the article of faith to the Nepalese peace keepers. Nepal has recently endorsed the Kigali principles in its entirety and we have unfailing commitment to the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. Principles incorporated in those documents are ingrained as core components of the training and development of our peacekeepers.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
- At this time, humanity is so much in need of peace, but we have a long way to go to achieve this. The world has faith on the soldiers with blue helmets. The UN peacekeepers are the vanguard and one of the key tools of the international community to restore peace and security in the conflict-torn areas. In the midst of challenges, their dedication and devotion with professionalism, honesty and impartiality have made them beacon of the global peace. This is a moment that we solemnly remember those brave and self-less peacekeepers who have sacrificed their lives for the cause of world peace. On behalf of the Nepalese people I salute and pay homage to those valiant Nepalese and other peacekeepers of the world.
- I hope this exercise will enable all the participants to deliver their duties and responsibilities with professionalism and dedication to uphold the earned glory of their predecessors as UN peacekeepers.
- I take this opportunity to express sincere appreciation to the Government of the United States of America for providing support and assistance in the field of peace support operations to Nepalese Army; and thanks to US Pacific command for their support to organize this exercise.
- To conclude, I would like to appreciate the efforts put by all those who contributed to this exercise. I once again warmly welcome you all specially the friends from friendly foreign countries. I wish every success for this exercise and “I declare the exercise SHANTI PRAYAS-III open.”
I thank you all.
20 march 2017