Nepal and Canada have agreed to set up a bilateral consultative mechanism, paving the way for holding discussions on various facets of bilateral relations between the two countries, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to this effect on the margins of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday. Both the leaders are currently participating in the ongoing UN General Assembly.

Prior to signing the MoU, the two leaders held discussions on bilateral issues, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

Nepal has its residential embassy in Canada, but Canada removed its mission in Kathmandu a few years ago. All Nepal-related matters have since been handled by the Canadian mission in New Delhi.

During the meeting, the two leaders reviewed the important aspects of relations between the two nations and exchanged views on various multilateral issues, the statement added.

PM Oli expressed his happiness at the high-level meeting since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and Canada in 1965. He thanked the government and the people of Canada for the assistance provided to Nepal and the Nepali people, especially the support extended after the April 25 earthquake.

Expressing his pleasure on having a bilateral meeting at the prime ministerial level, Canadian PM Trudeau said it would strenthen the bilateral ties between the two countries further.

Later in the evening, PM Oli, accompanied by his spouse Radhika Shakya, joined a reception hosted by US President Donald Trump and his spouse Melania Trump.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali on Tuesday attended the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit organised to commemorate and spread the message of global peace on the occasion of the centenary of the birth of Nelson Mandela.

Minister Gyawali also held a bilateral meeting with Indian Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj. The two ministers discussed various issues of Nepal-India relations and cooperation at bilateral and multilateral forums, the Foregin Ministry statement said.

Gyawali participated in a high-level meeting on Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem organised by the United States. US President Trump and UN Secretary-General António Guterres were among the speakers at the programme, which was organised to reaffirm commitments to effectively address and counter the world drug problem.

Gyawali also met with Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under Secretary-General for UN Peacekeeping Operations. During the meeting, Lacroix appreciated Nepal’s continued contributions to the UN peacekeeping operations. He encouraged Nepal to increase the number of female peacekeepers and train its troops in French language. Minister Gyawali, while stressing the importance of safety and security of peacekeepers, reiterated Nepal’s commitment to international peace and security through peacekeeping operations.