Nepalnews.com. 24 September 2007. The visiting Nepali foreign minister Sahana Pradhan and European Parliament members have jointly launched Friends of Nepal Group recently in Brussels.

Minister Sahana Pradhan and Member of European Parliament (MEP) Neena Gill, former Chair of the Delegation for relations with the SAARC and current Chair of the Delegation for India, jointly inaugurated the European Parliament led initiative "Friends of Nepal Group" by lighting the traditional Nepali lamp at a ceremony held at the Nepalese Ambassador's residence in Brussels on September 19.

The event was hosted by the Nepalese Charge d'Affaires Ambika Luitel and was attended by around a dozen MEPs representing various political parties who have signed up with the Friends of Nepal Group along with the Head and Deputy Head of Unit for Nepal, India and Bhutan at the European Commission, officials of the Foreign Ministry of Nepal and officials of the Mission of Nepal to the EU.

The European External Policy Advisors (EEPA), local consultancy on the EU's external relations as well as Eurostep, a network of autonomous European NGOs and the Northern partner of the South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE) were also present at the launch of the new Nepal-EU friendship association.

MEP Neena Gill who chairs the Friends of Nepal Group expressed great delight in launching the initiative with Minister Pradhan. "She has inspired us to continue our support for Nepal", she said. She further added that the launch is a demonstration of solidarity with the people of Nepal as well as with the ongoing democratisation process and recognising that Nepal is going through challenging times presently; the international community should support this delicate transition period in order to secure longer term stability as well as greater prosperity for its people.

Over 20 MEPs including the President of the Delegation for relations with South Asia, Robert Evans as well as Vice-President Jaromir Kohlicek has joined the Friends of Nepal Group. The Friends of Nepal Group is seen as a beginning of other events of cooperation and regular dialogue with counterparts as well as with the Nepalese civil society, as remarked by MEP Gill. nepalnews.com sd Sep 24 07