KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shisir Khanal, held a virtual meeting today with the United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Defence, Dan Jarvis, to address the unresolved, longstanding grievances of British Gurkha veterans.

During the bilateral talks, Foreign Minister Khanal underscored the historic significance of the British Gurkhas in shaping Nepal-UK relations and stressed the urgency of reaching a mutually agreeable solution.

He requested the British Government to approach the veterans’ demands through the perspective of compassion, recognizing the immense sacrifices made by the Gurkhas. Minister Khanal further affirmed that the Government of Nepal stands ready to play a constructive and collaborative role to resolve the dispute.

In response, UK Defence Secretary Jarvis emphasized that British Gurkhas remain an integral part of the British Army.

He assured the Nepali delegation that resolving the outstanding issues is a top priority for the United Kingdom Government.

The high-level meeting, which was coordinated and facilitated by the British Embassy in Kathmandu, was also attended by the Chief of the Europe Division, Ganesh Prasad Dhakal, alongside other senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.