(Photo: A screenshot.)
Foreign Minister Dr Arzu Rana Deuba has admitted that she has a limited knowledge of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).
Minister Rana admitted to having a little knowledge of BRICS when asked how Nepal sees BRICS and its growth over the years and whether it is building an effective alternative for the Global South during the Raisina Dialogue 2025 held in New Delhi.
"Forgive me about my little knowledge of BRICS. I don’t' think we are that much interactive with BRICS. I am not in a good position to answer that question," said Minister Rana.
Beating around the bush, Minister Rana said the UN is a body of which Nepal is a member where there is a provision of multilateralism that the UN Charter stresses on. "If BRICS reach out to us, we would like to interact with them," said she.
Minister Rana's acknowledgement of having a little knowledge of BRICS has drawn social media backlashes. Some of the media users have misinterpreted her remarks suggesting she lacks in-depth knowledge about BRICS while others have interpreted it as her diplomatic response that Nepal has little to do with BRICS as Nepal is not a member to it.
Minister Rana, who left for India on March 10, attended the 10th edition of the Raisina Dialogue 2025 that kicked off in New Delhi on March 17 and came to an end on March 19. The three-day international dialogue was organized by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs of India.
The prime ministers and foreign ministers, leaders and policy makers from various countries across the world participated in the Raisina Dialogue.
Minister Rana addressed separate sessions titled 'Status and Problems of Climate Change and What the South wants?' on behalf of Nepal, apart from addressing the 'Digital Public Infrastructure Conclave'.
Additionally, Minister Rana also engaged in bilateral meetings with her Indian counterpart Dr S Jaishankar and counterparts from other friendly countries on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue.
Earlier, after landing in India, Minister Rana visited Baba Baidyanath Dham, a religious site where she offered worships in Jharkhand. Minister Rana will return to Nepal on Friday, according to sources.
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