KATHMANDU, 27 May – Philippine Ambassador-Designate to Nepal Josel Francisco Ignacio paid a courtesy call on 26 May on Joint Secretary Bishnu Prasad Gautam, recently appointed Chief of Protocol of the Nepali Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kathmandu.
Ambassador Ignacio, who is resident in New Delhi, presented the working copy of his Letter of Credence and the Letter of Recall of his predecessor.
The Ambassador-Designate was accompanied by Third Secretary and Vice Consul Mark Anthony G. Articulo and Philippine Honorary Consul General in Kathmandu Suraj Vaidya. Also present was MFA Protocol Officer Mr. Prabin Bhattarai.
During the call, Ambassador-Designate Ignacio and Chief of Protocol Gautam engaged in a cordial tête-à-tête, during which they surveyed the trajectory of relations.
Both sides welcomed the approaching 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2025, and recent gains such as the convening of the 1st Philippines-Nepal Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on 05 December 2023.
The Ambassador-Designate outlined his priorities for further fortifying relations, especially economic and cultural cooperation between the two countries. Among the areas deemed promising for enhanced cooperation are two-way tourism, trade, pharmaceuticals, higher and technical education, and people-to-people exchanges.
Joint Secretary Gautam also expressed Nepal’s admiration for the Philippines' multi-pronged migration management and policies, lauding them as exemplary in safeguarding the rights of a country’s diaspora.
Sharing the Ambassador-Designate’s resolve and optimism, Joint Secretary Gautam conveyed the MFA’s readiness to work with the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi towards the attainment of shared bilateral objectives.
In diplomatic practice, the call and presentation of the copy of credentials is a prerequisite and prelude to the full accreditation of Ambassadors by the receiving state, culminating in the formal presentation of credentials to the Head of State.
The Philippine Embassy in New Delhi is concurrently accredited to Nepal and maintains an Honorary Consulate General in Kathmandu. The Nepalese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, meanwhile, is accredited to the Philippines. END
