Kathmandu, May 1:The United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees (unhcr) mrs Sadako Ogata arrived here today on an official visit to Nepal at the invitation of His Majesty’s Government.

Talking to the press at the Tribhuvan International Airport, Mrs Ogata said the Bhutanese side was eager to resolve the refugee crisis.

In reply to a query, she said the Bhutanese King and leaders had expressed their commitment to resolving the refugee problems.

The objective of her visit was to facilitate the resolution of the nearly decade old refugee problems at the earliest, and she was embarking on a visit to Nepal and Bhutan to mediate between the two sides, she said.

Describing India’s role in resolving the refugee issues as significant, she believed that the problem between Nepal and Bhutan would be resolved bilaterally.

Describing her talks with the Bhutanese side on resolution of the refugee problems as “positive,” the un High Commissioner for Refugees said the Bhutanese side expressed its desire to resolve the problem with open heart.

We are eager to mediate between Nepal and Bhutan and do something substantive on resolution of the refugee crisis, she said.

Shortly afterwards, Mrs Ogata left for Jhapa to inspect the refugees camps.

Earlier on her arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport, Mrs Ogata was received by foreign secretary Narayan Shumsher Thapa, other high officials of the foreign ministry, undp resident representative Dr Henning Karcher, the unhcr resident representative in Nepal and the fao representative.

During her visit Mrs Ogata will have audience with Their Majesties the King and Queen.

She will also have meeting with the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister and the foreign secretary.

Later, in Jhapa, the un high Commissioner for Refugees (unhcr) Mrs Sadako Ogata said the Bhutanese government is ready to welcome the Bhutanese refugees residing in Nepal back to Bhutan.

Mrs Ogata was addressing a gathering organised following her inspection of Goldhap and Beldangi Bhutanese refugees camps in Jhapa district today.

Stating that she came to the refugee camp after holding talks with senior officials of the Bhutanese government, Mrs Ogata said that the Bhutanese government officials urged her to convey the message that they were ready to take back home the Bhutanese refugees from Nepal.

I will apprise the Bhutanese government about the aspiration of the refugees to return back home, Mrs Ogata said, adding that the unhcr is committed to resolve the Bhutanese refugee problem as soon as possible.

She also expressed the commitment to serve as a bridge between Nepal and Bhutan in order to give a fruitful conclusion to the ministerial level talks between the two countries.

The United Nations has been looking after refugees in many countries but the refugee camps in Nepal are the best in the world as a result of the cordial cooperation of His Majesty’s Government, the local people and various organisations, she noted.

As the future of thousands of Bhutanese refugee children in Nepal is in danger we should work towards safeguarding their future, Mrs Ogata said and expressed confidence that they would soon return back to study in schools in Bhutan.

On the occasion chief district officer Dilliraj Joshi expressed confidence that the visit of un high Commissioner for Refugees Mrs Ogata would have a great impact on the return of the Bhutanese refugees.

Secretaries of Goldhap and Beldangi refugee camps Purna Gurung and Dhanapati Adhikari expressed the view that the Bhutanese refugee problem should be resolved in an impartial and just manner.

unhcr country director Micheal Dupoizat said Bhutanese refugees in the camp have been struggling hard to maintain their identity and dignity.

During her visit to the camps, Mrs Ogata inspected Jonkha language classes, community education centres, sewing cutting training centre, chalk making centre and schools run by Caritas Nepal in both the refugee camps and gathered information about works being carried out by various governmental and non-governmental organisations under the United Nations.

Earlier, welcoming Mrs Ogata at Bhadrapur Airport, unhcr jhapa chief Micheal Zwack apprised the un high Commissioner of the refugee-related works and programmes being carried out in the district.

The visiting delegation includes unhcr Asia-Pacific Director Francois Fouinat, Soko Simojawa, the Executive Assistant of Mrs Ogata, World Food Programme country director Duglas Casson Cutts, joint secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lila Sharma and under secretary at the Home Ministry Dipak Joshi.

On the occasion the refugees in the camps presented various programmes highlighting Bhutanese culture to welcome the unhcr delegation.

Around 98,000 refugees from Bhutan are residing in seven camps in Jhapa and Morang district waiting to return back to their home country since the past 10 years.

This is the first time that the un High Commissioner for Refugees has visited the Bhutanese refugee camps in Nepal.

Meanwhile, today, Human Rights Organisation, the Organisation of the Bhutanese Human Rights Activists at Jhapa, in a press statement, has urged the un High Commissioner for Refugees Mrs Sadako Ogata to create the environment for the return of the Bhutanese refugees residing at the seven camps in eastern Nepal to their homland with dignity.

In the statement it has expressed the conviction that High Commissioner Ogata, who has completed her visit to Bhutan and is currently in Nepal with the objective of resolving the Bhutanese refugees problem, would play significant role in materialising the rights of the refugees to return home with dignity.

The statement states that the role to be played by High Commissioner Ogata for the return of the Bhutanese at the earliest would be of utmost important and the institution had raised voices at the Geneva meeting concerning human rights.

The various rounds of talks between Nepal and Bhutan to resolve the refugee issue had been unproductive and the United Nations should take steps for the return of the refugees to their country, according to the statement.