Vietnam envoy sets sights on free trade agreement with Israel
New Nepal ambassador hopes Jerusalem can help her country enhance economic development
President Reuven Rivlin received the credentials of four new ambassadors on Thursday: Do Minh Hung of Vietnam, Dr. Anjan Shakya of Nepal, Lt.-Gen (ret.) Samuel Ng’amg’a Thuita of Kenya, and nonresident ambassador Ivan Lekovic of Montenegro.
Recalling his visit to Vietnam in March 2017, Rivlin told the Vietnamese ambassador how impressed he had been with the country’s system of education. He asked Minh Hung to convey his best wishes to President Nguyen Phu Trong, whom he had met when the latter was secretary-general of the Communist Party, and to present him with an official invitation to visit Israel.
Listing areas of bilateral cooperation such as health, water management, agriculture and defense, Rivlin underscored “the need of our two peoples to carry the burden of security in fighting fundamentalism and terrorism.”
Minh Hung reminded Rivlin that the two countries last year celebrated the 25th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations.
He said that he has set himself three main goals during his period of service in Israel. One is to oversee the implementation of a free trade agreement. Another is to promote mutual understanding and mutual trust, and the third is to be present at the launch of direct flights between Israel and Vietnam, which will boost both business and tourism in both directions.
Shakya, her husband Ajaya Kranti Shakya – who is a member of Nepal’s Provincial Assembly – and the representatives of her embassy all came in traditional Nepalese attire and, in the manner common in Asian countries, bowed with their hands poised in supplication. Rivlin returned the bow in kind.
This is a first-time ambassadorship for Shakya, who comes from a background of academia and economics. Before her diplomatic appointment, she was president of Nepal’s Chamber of Commerce. She charmed everyone present including Rivlin, who thanked her for Nepal’s support for Israel in various organs of the UN and other international forums. “We consider Nepal as a great friend,” he said.
Though in Israel for only a week, Shakya has already picked up a little Hebrew. She addressed Rivlin in Hebrew in her opening remarks when presenting her credentials and later during their tête-à-tête. She said that in the week that she has been in Israel, she has seen that it is “a beautiful, glorious, efficient and advanced country,” and paid tribute to Israel’s Foreign Ministry for its warmth and assistance.
She said that both President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli were looking forward to visiting Israel next year and had asked her to convey their invitation to Rivlin to visit Nepal.
Shakya said Nepal is approaching developing countries in order to enhance economic development, and she was hopeful that Israel would cooperate in this regard, “because Israel is one of our oldest diplomatic friends.” She also asked for Israel’s help in setting up centers of excellence in Nepal.
Rivlin told Thuita that he was happy to welcome him not, only as the ambassador of Kenya, but also as the former chief of the Kenyan Air Force. Thuita is a missiles and radar expert. Rivlin conveyed his condolences over the recent terrorist attack in Nairobi. “Together with all the free world, we will fight developing fundamentalism and terrorism,” he said.
Regarding Montenegro, Rivlin was particularly appreciative of its stand against antisemitism and what it is doing in this sphere in international forums as well as in its own educational curricula. Education goes hand in hand with remembrance, he said. Rivlin was pleased that he will be seeing Lekovic again at the end of March when President Milo Dukanovic visits Israel.