Nepal urges Russia not to recruit its citizens into Russian army, Kathmandu tells Moscow

Nepal said it has asked Moscow not to recruit its citizens into the Russian army and help repatriate those who have already joined the country’s forces to fight the war in Ukraine. Nepali soldiers, called Gurkhas, are known for their bravery and fighting skills, and have been serving the British and Indian armies following the independence of India in 1947 under an agreement between the three countries. At least 200 Nepalese youths have joined the Russian Army through illegal channels and 12 of them have already lost their lives while fighting against Ukraine. Millions of Nepali nationals are employed in civilian work mainly as labourers in industries and construction sites in South Korea, Malaysia and the Middle East. Nepalese Foreign Minister N.P. Saud, during his meeting with Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Vershinin Sergey Vasilievich on Friday at the sideline of the ongoing Non-Aligned Summit in Kampala, Uganda, asked Russia “not to recruit Nepalese nationals into the country’s Army and to help repatriate those who have already joined the forces", according to the private secretariat of Saud. Saud clarified that “Nepal has no policy to send its nationals to foreign army except those few countries with which it has traditional arrangements”. “Therefore, I have asked the Russian minister not to recruit our nationals into its army,” Saud was quoted as saying by his personal secretariat. “During the meeting the two leaders also discussed various aspects of bilateral relations between Nepal and Russia,” according to Saud’s secretariat. Saud on the occasion mentioned the long historical relations existing between Nepal and Russia. The Russian deputy foreign minister underscored the need for taking forward the bilateral relations, stressing that the relations between two countries were built on a strong foundation. With inputs from agencies.