Iceland’s prime minister, officials call on President Bhandari

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister of Iceland Katrín Jakobsdóttir and other officials called on President Bidya Devi Bhandari on the sidelines of the Reykjavik Global Forum - Women Leaders in Reykjavik in Iceland, on Wednesday. In the meeting between Iceland's Prime Minister and President Bhandari, matters related to further strengthening bilateral relations between Nepal and Iceland, and exchanging potential cooperation in areas such as geothermal energy technology, climate change, tourism and sharing of experience in the areas of women and gender empowerment were discussed, the Embassy of Nepal, Copenhagen, Denmark stated in a press statement today. Also on the sidelines of the Forum, Sima Bahous, Executive Director of the UN Women, called on President Bhandari and appreciated the progress made by Nepal in women's political empowerment and sustainable development goal (SDG) indicators. Separately, Silvana-Koch Mehrin, President and Founder of Women Political Leaders, and Laura Liswood, Secretary General of Council of Women World Leaders, also called on the President and discussed various experiences and issues related to gender, development and climate change. Two famous Icelandic mountaineers who climbed Mt Everest and Lhotse also met with President Bhandari and shared their experiences. The Head-of-State also interacted with Icelandic and international media on the sidelines of the Forum. In the evening on Wednesday, President Bhandari attended an event hosted by Nepali diaspora in Iceland and briefly addressed the community, the Embassy of Nepal, Copenhagen stated. Earlier on Wednesday, President Bhandari received WPL Trailblazer Award 2022 at the Forum. Silvana-Koch Mehrin, President and Founder of Women Political Leaders and former Vice-President of the European Parliament, presented the award to the President. The Prime Minister of Iceland Jakobsdóttir and Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, Former President of Iceland,  were also present at the award ceremony. President Bhandari dedicated the award to the Nepali women whose struggle for gender empowerment and inclusion contributed to the achievements that Nepal has made in those agendas so far. The President also delivered a keynote speech to the Forum earlier to the award ceremony and highlighted Nepal's journey to institutionalise an inclusive democracy that has well-embodied principles of human rights, equity, non-discrimination, inclusion and social transformation. President Bhandari who is leading an 18-member delegation to the forum will return home on the morning of November 12. READ ALSO:

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