Israel ready to expand bilateral relations with Nepal
H.E Dan Stav
Ambassador, State of Israel in Nepal 
His Excellency Dan Stav (DoB 8 May 1956) is the Ambassador of the State of Israel to Nepal since 23rd September 2005. A master cum laude in the field of International Relations, Ambassador Stav joined the Foreign Service in the year 1986. His long association with Israel’s diplomatic service provides him with the ability to present his country’s position boldly on any contemporary national or even international events. A versatile diplomat indeed!
Born in Haifa, Ambassador Stav accomplished both the Bachelors and the Masters degree from the University of Jerusalem, Israel.
After joining the Foreign Service, Ambassador Stav has served his country’s diplomatic missions at different intervals of time in various destinations abroad. Prior to his appointment in Nepal as the Ambassador of Israel, he served at the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the Minister counselor Policy Planning Bureau (since January 2004) and Minster Counselor Asia Pacific division (since September 2003).
Ambassador Stav is married and has two children.
Below the results of interview with Ambassador Stav
——————————————————————————–
How has your country, Israel, taken the fresh political developments in Nepal? Your comments please!
As a matter of principle, Israel strongly believe that any political conflict bitter, intricate or lingering as it might be, can be solved through political means result oriented and bona fide dialogue between the relevant parties to a conflict. This principle is valid to the conflicts in the Middle East or elsewhere in the world as well as to the internal conflict in Nepal. Being a democratic country, Israel is convinced that it is of paramount importance to integrate all the political forces in Nepal within a system based on the principles of multi-party democratic parliamentary system. The recently held elections to the Constituent Assembly marked the beginning of a new stage in the process of consolidating the peace process and strengthening of democracy. The Next government of Nepal will face many challenges and Israel, as a long time friend of Nepal and the Nepali people, will continue to expand the already excellent bilateral relations existing between the two countries.
In what state are our bilateral ties? Do you have plans to expand our existing ties in sectors that have remained so far unexplored? Your remarks please.
While the time tested bilateral relations between the two countries are excellent, there is a room for expansion of the relations. We have already doubled our efforts to expand cooperation in the health sector focusing on granting technical assistance. Another sector where we plan to enhance the cooperation is education, especially in the field of early childhood development (ECD). We are also in a process to institutionalize our cooperation with the agriculture sector: Soon we are about to sign a MoU with ADBN (Agricultural Development Bank, Nepal) for three years cooperation.
I do believe that it is of great importance to enhance the ties between the private sectors in both countries. Israeli companies, especially in the Telecom sector, show greater interest in the telecom market. Obviously we support and encourage it. With the hope that Nepal will gradually build a stable political system based on genuine multiparty democratic parliamentary system, and once a new government is in place and a conducive environment for direct foreign investments is established, I strongly believe that the business sector in Israel will show even greater interest in investing in Nepal.
Israel has become sixty years old. Despite uninterrupted problems in the vicinity to your survival, how your nation-state could continue to survive and that too unscathed? What charismatic mechanisms your leaders from the beginning devised to keep the country safe and sound? Your opinions please!
The state of Israel was not granted to us on a silver platter. Decades of consolidating the frameworks of the Jewish society preceded the establishment of the State. Over more than a century our leaders and people were determined to build a national home for the Jews. The establishment of the State of Israel is a manifestation of a historical justice. But achieving this desired goal did not make us abandon our goal: establishing a national home for the Jews wherever they are, while extending our hand to our neighbours in an offer for peace and good neigbourliness. Regrettably it took 40 years from the end of the war of independence till the signing of the first peace agreement with one of our neighbours. Meanwhile we were forced to develop military might. At the same time, we were able to develop a striving economy that can guarantee employment and generate reasonable standard of living for the population already living in Israel as well as for the millions of Jews, many of them refugees who fled to Israel to escape harassment or wanted to exercise their right for self-determination in the land of their ancestors. Facing these daunting tasks needed an assertive leadership, skilful diplomacy, the willingness to work hard and to be creative. These efforts resulted in developing a state which is characterized by a modern and vibrant economy that is based on high tech, research and science. There is till a lot to achieve, first and foremost just and lasting peace with all our neighbours.
Has Nepal’s political developments of late in any way hampered the expansion of our bilateral ties?
The relations between the Nepali people and Israeli people have been excellent throughout the 47 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries. I do hope that the recent developments in Nepal offer a good prospect to the betterment of the situation in Nepal in two crucial aspects: one is further consolidation of the peace process and the second is the strengthening of democracy and democratic culture in Nepal. Obviously, the political parties have the responsibilities to work hard to achieve that. I am encouraged by the role played until now by the civil society in this regard. Israel, as a friend of Nepal, has a great interest in further developing the bilateral relations between the two countries
While we at this paper congratulate the people and the government of Israel for having attained sixty years of prestigious existence in the world community, what are the plans of your own government to observe it in a much more glaring fashion both within and without? Will some programs be held in Kathmandu to mark this occasion? Your comments please.
60th anniversary is indeed a good reason for celebrations. But celebrations are not the most important issue for us. While we look back and see all that has been achieved since Israel’s independence, we may feel very proud. However, it is equally important to look forward and to see what we have not yet achieved. Just and lasting peace with all our neighbours, reduction of the gap between the rich and poor as well as playing a greater role in international development issues are just three of the major issues that we should strive to accomplish.
(courtesy telegraph)
