Kathmandu, Mar. 24 :British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Robin Cook has congratulated Chakra Prasad Bastola on his appointment as Minister of Foreign  Affairs of Nepal.

In a congratulatory message, Mr Cook has said that Nepal and Britain have worked particularly hard over the past year, in a spirit of friendship and mutual respect, to do justice to the ex-servicemen of British Gorkhas.

“I am delighted that we will meet in Kathmandu during my visit next month,” he said, adding “I look forward to the opportunity that our meeting will offer to develop a revitalised and forward-looking bilateral relationship.

In a similar congratulatory message to Minister Bastola, Egyptian Minister for Foreign Affairs Andre Moussa has expressed the hope that the cordial relations existing between Egypt and Nepal will further strengthen and flourish during Mr Bastola’s ministership.

Likewise, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea Lee Joung-Binn has sent a message of congratulations to Minister Bastola saying “I look forward to working closely with you to further promote the friendly and cooperative relations between our two countries and cooperate on matters that would enhance peace and prosperity in our region.”