30 MAY 2024, KATHMANDU - H.E. Josel F. Ignacio presented today his credentials to Right Honourable Ramchandra Paudel, President of Nepal, formally accrediting him as Non-Resident Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Philippines to Nepal.
The Ceremony was held at the Rastrapati Bhawan (Presidential Residence) in Maharagunj, Kathmandu.
Accompanying President Paudel were high-level Nepalese officials led by the Hon’ble Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Ambassador Ignacio’ suite, meanwhile, consisted of Third Secretary (Political Affairs) Mark Anthony P. Dizon, Third Secretary (Economic Affairs) Melissa Anne M. Telan, and Philippine Honorary Consul General in Kathmandu, Mr. Suraj Vaidya.
After presenting his Letters of Credence, Ambassador Ignacio and his entourage were received in private audience by President Paudel. The exchanges surveyed the cordial friendship enjoyed by the Philippines and Nepal since the opening of diplomatic relations in 1960.
They also acknowledged the enormous potential for growing trade and fostering investment and business-to-business ties, with the Philippines being a fast-growing economy and Nepal’s own accelerating development.
Both sides also acknowledged the robust undergirding afforded by the strong cultural and people-to-people ties between the two countries. The Philippines is a preferred tourism and higher education destination among Nepalis. Meanwhile, Nepal also has its small population of expatriate Filipinos, among them professionals and those working for international organizations, as well as those married to Nepalis.
Ignacio expressed optimism that both countries will be moving in lockstep to seize and parlay the expanding areas of opportunity for elevating overall relations to new heights. The approaching 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties was seen as providing momentum to such bilateral engagement.
Ambassador Ignacio and the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi are concurrently accredited to Nepal. END
