Himal Press 
Photo: RSS
KATHMANDU: Sagarmatha Sambaad will see minister-level representation from close neighbors India and China.
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Arzu Rana Deuba, said at a press meet in Kathmandu on Tuesday that Xiao Jie, Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, will represent China at the event, while India will be represented by Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav.
Similarly, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Mukhtar Babayev, who chaired COP-29, will also participate in the Sagarmatha Sambaad, according to Minister Deuba.
The three-day Sagarmatha Sambaad kicks off in Kathmandu on Friday with the theme “Climate Change, Mountains, and the Future of Humanity”. It is a multi-stakeholder dialogue forum committed to deliberating on the most prominent issues of global, regional and national significance. It aims to bring together people from all walks of life and a broad spectrum of stakeholders with the influence and capacity to shape and drive discourse for positive change.
Sharmin Murshid, Advisor to the Minister of Social Welfare of Bangladesh; Gem Tshering, Minister for Energy and Natural Resources of Bhutan; Thoriq Ibrahim, Minister of Tourism and Environment of the Maldives; Akiko Ikeno, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan; Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister for Energy and Sustainable Affairs of the UAE, are also participating in the event.
Likewise, Susan Mary Howes, Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of the United Kingdom, has also confirmed her participation, according to the Foreign Ministry.
Ten other countries and regional organizations, including Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, Oman, Brazil, Egypt, SAARC, BIMSTEC, and the United Nations, will participate at the ambassadorial level.
Additionally, Martin Raiser, Vice President of the World Bank for South Asia, and Fatima Yasmin, Vice President of the Asian Development Bank for the region, will also attend the Sagarmatha Sambad.
