Kathmandu: Nepal has requested Russia to not admit Nepalese nationals into the Russian Army and help repatriate those who have already joined the country’s forces to fight the war in Ukraine.
At least 200 Nepalese youths have joined the Russian Army through illegal channels and 12 of them have already lost their lives while fighting against Ukraine.
Nepalese Foreign Minister NP Saud, during his meeting with Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Vershinin Sergey Vasilievich Friday at the sideline of the ongoing Non-Aligned Summit in Kampala, Uganda, asked Russia “not to recruit Nepalese nationals into the country’s Army and to help repatriate those who have already joined the forces”, according to the private secretariat of Saud.
Saud clarified that “Nepal has no policy to send its nationals to foreign army except those few countries with which it has traditional arrangements”.
“Therefore, I have asked the Russian minister not to recruit our nationals into its army,” Saud was quoted as saying by his personal secretariat.
Saud also asked the Russian side to “send back the dead bodies of those killed in the Russia-Ukraine war while fighting for the Russian Army and to provide due compensation to the family of the victims”.
“The Nepalese Foreign Minister has requested the Russian government to make necessary arrangements to return the dead bodies at the earliest so that the family members of the victims could perform the last rites of the deceased relatives as per their traditional rituals,” the personal secretariat quoted Saud as saying.
The Russian side has informed Saud that necessary arrangements will be made to provide compensation to the family of the deceased as per Russian law.
Vesilievich, who is also the leader of the NAM Summit from Russia, has assured Saud that initiatives will be taken to address the concerns raised by Nepal.
“During the meeting the two leaders also discussed various aspects of bilateral relations between Nepal and Russia,” according to Saud’s secretariat.
Saud on the occasion mentioned the long historical relations existing between Nepal and Russia.
The Russian deputy foreign minister underscored the need for taking forward the bilateral relations, stressing that the relations between the two countries were built on a strong foundation.
PTI
