Kathmandu-Minister for Foreign Affairs Shisir Khanal held a virtual meeting on Monday with UK Defence Secretary John Healey and Veterans and People Minister Louise Sandher-Jones to discuss long-standing grievances of British Gurkha veterans.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the talks focused primarily on unresolved issues facing British Gurkhas, including their demand for proportionate pensions. Minister Khanal emphasized the significant contribution of Gurkhas to Nepal-UK relations and called for an early and mutually acceptable resolution to their concerns.

He urged the British government to address the issues from the perspective of justice, fairness, and respect.

On behalf of Defence Secretary Healey, Minister Sandher-Jones reaffirmed the UK government's commitment to working closely with Nepal to address the concerns of British Gurkha veterans.

The meeting was attended by Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai and senior officials from Nepal's Foreign Ministry. Representatives from the UK Ministry of Defence, including Alex Baker, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Nepal, as well as representatives of British Gurkha organizations, also participated.

Earlier in the day, Minister Khanal held a separate virtual interaction with British Gurkha veterans based in the UK.

The meeting was coordinated by Nepal's Chargé d'Affaires in London, Bipin Duwadi.