Hari Sharan Subedi: Market saturated with TV stations
Hari Sharan Subedi is the Managing Director of A.D Release, one of Nepal's leading media buying agencies. With over 20 years of experience in the Nepali media and advertising industry, Subedi has played a pivotal role to introduce pioneering program concepts into the Nepali television industry that include reality TV shows such as Nepal Idol, The Voice and SaReGaMaPa Li’l Champs Nepal along with full production and marketing of the Super Dancer Nepal. Subedi and his team have also introduced Nepal’s local reality shows such as Comedy Champion and the popular comic series Sakkigoni. Subedi has been at the forefront of changing the television media sales landscape via innovative advertising segments including on-screen advertising and sponsored segments across news and programs. He is currently the Executive Member of the Advertising Association of Nepal (AAN) and a member of the Information and Communication Technology Development Sub-Committee of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI). The Annapurna Express caught up with Subedi to talk about media buying and the Nepali television industry, Excerpts: Your agency has consistently been at the forefront of television advertising in Nepal. How would you introduce your business and the industry you are in? We are a team of think-alike people, and it has been a collective achievement so far. The Nepali television industry has come a long way as the industry grew manifold, thanks to investment in news and programming as well as technology. Today, the television industry employs over 3,000 people, ranging from journalists to production, engineering, administrative and marketing professionals. The main source of revenue is advertisements. And, the whole advertisement segment has also evolved remarkably in these years. We have seen the whole transition, from VHF tapes to DV tapes and now to transferring audiovisuals digitally across various TV stations from your own office. As a media buying agency, we take pride that we also contributed to this transition positively which helped the overall industry to expand. Of late, with the growing number of TV channels, there is also the issue of sustainability that is being increasingly discussed within the TV industry. As TV channels fight for advertising revenue that has not grown, do you think these channels will survive? We have seen flooding of TV stations, from satellite TV stations to regional TVs and those promoted by TV channel distributors in recent times. Around 200 satellite TV stations have taken licenses, of which over 60 are currently in operation. Even when operated in a very minimalistic manner, the combined operating cost of these channels would be approximately Rs 3 billion. However, the size of the advertising market has fallen post-Covid, and even further due to the current economic slowdown to around Rs 2 billion. How can advertising sustain the television industry in this scenario? On the other hand, there is a lack of investment in content and broadcast quality. For any TV to have a huge following, one needs to have programs that are attractive, and intriguing for the viewers. Instead, what we see is that most TV stations have the same kind of programming. And, there is also a serious dearth of specialization. Internationally, sports channels are the most expensive to subscribe to. The world has realized that live sports generate the highest viewership. Unfortunately, we are going one step further in Nepal, killing the exclusivity of TV broadcasts by coupling it with the concurrent digital broadcast. Reality shows, series, sports, and everything are available on YouTube, and this is the main reason behind the falling TV subscriptions. And to add to this is the Clean Feed debacle. International channels were supposed to be free of advertisement, but we have to see the same irritating promotional spot repeatedly. TV watching has become unpleasant with average content, subscriptions have fallen, and with the economic slowdown, it is natural that advertising revenues have also declined. What are the pressing issues plaguing the TV industry? Why is the Nepali advertisement market not able to sustain the growing number of TV stations? Despite the economic slowdown, the number of new media outlets is growing. The situation is such, every advertiser faces a huge dilemma today. While the advertiser's advertising budget has not grown, they are getting increased follow-up from the media marketers. Rather than advertising on the media platform that suits their target group, advertisers are literally forced to balance the media, particularly the smaller media outlets that resort to unfair practices. I am personally aware of some larger advertisers forced to distribute ads proportionately across larger to smaller media. Everyone wants to run a news channel – every TV, every online portal, and every YouTuber. And then there is an absence of television and media rating mechanisms. In India, the TRAI, the government body, rates media by their reach and popularity or following. There is no such mechanism in place in Nepal. The economic downturn has impacted all businesses across Nepal. But you say that a 'lack of regulation' is hurting television media. Are you hinting that there is a lack of regulation across the media sector of Nepal? Yes. If we look at the huge investments made by satellite TV stations in broadcast equipment, satellite and carriage charges, generating employment, licensing fees, royalties, and taxes, how is it fair for them to compete for viewership with one individual flashing a Go-Pro or cell phones and broadcasting live news on YouTube? Globally, TV is still considered the most credible or trusted source of information. Major TV stations ensure the source or accuracy of news before broadcasting, or otherwise, they have to face complaints and a hit to their credibility. While the developed world is out there battling fake news and taking Facebook and Twitter to court, we in Nepal, are allowing 'one-man armies' to broadcast news unabashedly. It is only fair that the government regulates online and social media before too much damage is done. If the TV industry falls, thousands of jobs, huge investments, and families will suffer. Media owners also need to do their bit. They must lobby with the government to ensure appropriate regulation, and maintain the exclusivity of their content. They must stop immediate or concurrent digital broadcasts. Look at international practice—one may be able to enjoy a short clip of a program on digital platforms only after one to four weeks, but you will not find the entire program on YouTube. Similarly, TV stations should not be marketing themselves based on YouTube or Facebook views, and content makers should stop developing content solely for digital platforms. Don't you think TV stations also need to upgrade their content and broadcast quality? Not all TV stations are of low quality. TV stations such as Nepal TV, Kantipur HD, Himalaya HD, AP1 HD, and Galaxy 4K have spent millions on quality equipment, and are investing big in programs and reality shows. Many TV channels have staff or stringers throughout the country. But not all TV stations have invested in broadcast equipment, human capital, and content quality. We could introduce some strong provisions to open a TV station, such as increasing the license fee and setting criteria for infrastructures. Let there also be regulation for existing channels to ensure the quality of their broadcast standard. TV viewing would become more pleasant with better broadcast quality. And, it is also the responsibility of TV channels to make people watch TV. There are sufficient examples in India, of how they dramatize series, news, and reality shows, adding intrigue to their presentation to ensure viewership. This was possible due to their separation of production and broadcasting. They outsource content production, while still retaining creative control. The very existence of production companies depends on the quality of their output. Don't you think there is also a lack of regulation on digital advertising in Nepal as well? I am confident that the central bank has no data on the size of digital marketing in Nepal. At the outset, it would seem that advertisers are spending only some of their budget on digital advertising. But, a large number of small budgets adds up to a large outflow of forex. And does the country benefit from that spending? Traditional media would pay taxes on their earnings to the government. Does Google or Facebook pay taxes to the Nepal Government? In addition to this, there is an issue with clean feed. Nepali TV channels are not supposed to play foreign or dubbed advertisements. But these very advertisements can be played on digital and outdoor media platforms. How is it fair? Why would advertisers then develop localized advertisements if they can do it on digital and outdoor media? They would simply change the medium of advertising, replacing TV with digital media. And then TV advertisements must be censored to ensure no misinformation. Digital platforms go uncensored, untaxed, and unregulated. It is high time the government took these matters seriously. Not doing anything means bidding farewell to the Nepali TV industry. If the advertisement market cannot sustain the growing number of TV stations, how can we expect them to invest further in content and broadcast quality? Under current circumstances, the market cannot sustain the growing number of TV stations. Look at the international practice where TV stations earn almost equally through advertising and subscriptions. Nepali households pay handsomely to watch foreign channels but want to watch Nepali channels for free, and then complain about content and broadcast quality, comparing them with Indian shows. Isn’t that hollow nationalism? If Nepali TV channels give strong content backed by the international-level production quality, why would people need to watch foreign channels? But, for this to happen, Nepal must embrace the subscription model. This is not a new concept though, the industry has discussed this for over a decade, but has been unable to implement it due to differences between TV owners themselves and TV distribution companies. Should they embrace it, subscription revenue would pave the way for further investment in content quality, and the competition between TV stations would automatically filter out stations that don’t invest in quality and content. TV channels can price themselves based on demand, viewers are able to pick and choose the channels they are willing to pay for, and advertisers have a strong basis to select where to advertise.
Rupak Sapkota: Concrete plan necessary to deal with geopolitical flux
Tensions between the US and China are increasing day by day and its implications are already felt in Kathmandu. The Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government faces an herculean task of managing a balanced and trustworthy relations with all major powers to reap benefits from their economic development.
In this context, Pratik Ghimire talked to Rupak Sapkota, a foreign policy expert to solicit his views about Nepal’s changing foreign policy picture and geopolitical situation.
What is your view on the recent shifting of geopolitical tension in the Himalayan belt?
Over the past few years, big powers have adopted an assertive foreign policy. Let’s ponder the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the position taken by major powers. America and its traditional allies are providing arms and ammunition to Ukraine. Similarly, it is also urging its Asian allies to stand in favor of Ukraine and provide weapons. American military and diplomatic officials are undertaking a world-wide tour to advance their agenda. On the other hand, strategic relations between China and Russia have been developing and growing too. At the same time, Xi Jinping has been re-elected for the third consecutive term, and the political document endorsed by the Chinese Congress shows that China desires to change the world order in its favor.
China has the economic and diplomatic strength to undo the existing world order. America is enhancing its presence in the Indo-pacific region with a primary goal of containing China. It has launched a fresh campaign to re-energize its alliances both in Europe and Asia. China, meanwhile, is adopting a dual strategy. Its immediate priority is not to alter the existing world order but to exploit its industrial and technological advantage. At the same time, China also wants to promote its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with a mantra of human community with a shared future. America’s leadership is becoming weak and in this context, China along with Russia and other emerging economies, who want to see change in the current world, are advocating for a new world order. In a nutshell, world powers are heading towards a bitter conflict and confrontation. And in this scenario, the countries of the global South are particularly fearful that they could be trapped in the stiff geo-political contest between the US and China.
NATO has been paying close attention to Asia. Does this mean the geopolitical tension will further increase in future?
This is entirely a new global phenomenon that we had not seen after the second world war. Over the past few decades, America was obviously paying attention to Asian countries but NATO’s Asia pivot is a new development. America is working at a structural level like QUAD and AUKUS but NATO’s direct communication and engagement with Asian countries is rare. The NATO chief recently visited Japan and South Korea, and is likely to visit India as well. The primary objective of NATO’s move is to secure more arms and ammunition for Ukraine, and the second is to enhance military and strategic cooperation with India, which is projected as a pillar of the Indo-Pacific region. India’s defense cooperation with Russia is strong and robust. And since India has adopted a policy of neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine war, it has made the US unhappy. NATO, America and other Western powers want to minimize India’s military dependence with Russia.
Over the past few years, the defense cooperation between India and US is increasing, which has been reflected through plus-two dialogue. This aims to minimize India’s defense cooperation with Russia. At the same time, India and China have been locked in a bitter border dispute since 2018, and there are no signs of rapprochement despite the dialogue between two Asian powers. Both India and the US view China as a common security threat. So, it seems that geopolitical gravity is gradually shifting to Himalayan region. America has been trying to upgrade its cooperative relationship with India for three reasons: to enhance the influence of the Indo-Pacific region; to contain China; and to minimize India’s defense dependency with Russia.
How do you see the recent US engagement with South Asian countries including Nepal?
As stated earlier, America is expanding multi-layer engagement with Asian countries and Nepal is also an important priority. Obviously, Nepal’s geopolitical location drives big powers to engage with us. A recent report from the International Monetary Front has shown the growing economic might of China as well as India. And since Nepal is between these two powers, it may have driven America to engage more with us. America’s economic engagement with Nepal, be it through MCC or other forms, is gradually increasing. The series of visits of American officials show that Nepal-US bilateral relations will further enhance in the coming days. Nepal’s geopolitical location has driven the US to engage more with Nepal.
Lying between the world’s two greatest economies, Nepal occupies an important position. Frequent visits of American officials show our relationship and engagement with America has expanded. America’s Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS) has come up with a holistic approach—military, economic, governance and politics, trade and connectivity. Though American officials are not vocal about it, the US is conducting all its activities and assistance in this region through IPS.
How is the Nepal government preparing or dealing with these issues?
After the promulgation of a new constitution in 2015, Nepal has failed to navigate the fast-changing geopolitics, and does not have any plan on how to manage the competing foreign powers and pursue our national interest. There is a state of confusion on how we conduct our foreign policy in the current geopolitical flux. In many ways, I see a strategic void. Over the past few years, big powers have come up with different strategies, such as America’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. Nepal was asked to join the IPS during our foreign minister’s America visit in 2018. We endorsed the MCC with declarative interpretations and we have told big powers that we cannot join any military strategies. Similarly, we are moving ahead with China to cooperate on the economic front of BRI and other projects, but we have failed to make any substantial progress. India, too, is coming up with aggressive strategies.
Agnipath is a case in point. It is yet to be seen how the new government tackles the Agnipath scheme. The spillover effects of geopolitical rivalry have already been felt in Kathmandu, but we do not have any plan on how to push our economic agenda amid such strategies. This is a major challenge of the new government led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal. We should carve out a clear strategy of staying away from intense geopolitical rivalry and engage with big powers on clear economic terms. Development, prosperity and good governance are our key priorities, and to achieve them, we have to build international cooperation. We need to collaborate with all big powers on economic issues.
What are the key priorities of the Dahal-led government?
The Dahal government should conduct international relations focusing on three key priorities. First, staying away from military engagement with big powers while accepting economic assistance and investment. Second, it should conclude the remaining tasks of the peace process by taking the international community into confidence. And third, it should enhance climate diplomacy and raise Nepal’s climate vulnerabilities in the international forum. Along with these priorities, Nepal should also enhance its diplomatic outreach through multilateral agencies like SAARC. The new government should play an active role to revive the SAARC process.
Suman Rayamajhi: Upaya’s growth has enabled it to extend logistics operations to all verticals
Suman Rayamajhi is the Managing Director of Upaya and has over 20 years of experience in the corporate, telecom, startup, equity, and financial sectors in Nepal. Upaya is an online logistics company operating in various cities in Nepal. Suman had also worked as Chief Financial Officer in Smart Telecom and had been a key management team of Smart to operationalize the company with the 4G launch in major cities of Nepal and raising the fund for the network expansion. He is also the founder of Eos Advisors, a boutique investment advisory company, where his expertise lies in setting up & operationalizing PE/venture funds, due diligence, transactions advisory, and deal structuring. In a conversation with The Annapurna Express, Rayamajhi talked about Upaya, the challenges of running a logistics company, and the company's future plans. Excerpts: It’s been over four years since Upaya started its operations. How do you reflect on the growth of the company in this period? Upaya started its operations in 2018 and has seen rapid growth, particularly in the last 18 months. The company was founded with the aim of addressing the inefficiencies in the logistics industry in Nepal. We recognized the challenges faced by business owners in securing vehicles for delivery and the lack of work for driver partners. Through extensive research, Upaya was established with a focus on four-wheeler delivery services through its on-demand service. As the business grew, the company expanded into the two-wheeler segment and expanded its operations to cover the entire country. The company has also established its own fulfillment center and acquired a transportation company to enable intercity transport now. Today, Upaya has a daily average of over 1,000 trips and 2,500 orders. The company has formed partnerships with organizations such as Sipradi, Loconav, and UK Aid, among others. With a team that has grown from a few people to 170 employees across Nepal, Upaya was awarded the "Best Startup of the Year 2021." Upaya's growth has enabled it to extend logistics operations to all verticals, including market aggregation where you can book vehicles ranging from two-wheelers to 21-ton trucks in any city in Nepal, and end-to-end operations where you can send goods to 100 pin codes of the country. The only backward integration remaining is in warehousing, which the company is working towards fulfilling through the establishment of a world-class warehousing and fulfillment facility. What challenges are there to running a logistics services company? How Upaya overcame the challenges? One of the biggest challenges in the logistics sector is the unorganized nature and lack of standardization. To address these challenges, Upaya has focused on professionalism and transparency. The company has used technology to improve transparency, standardization, and traceability. There have been no significant infrastructure investments to date in the logistics sector in Nepal. Upaya is committed to making infrastructural investments together with technological investments in the logistics sector so as to collaborate with all the existing logistics players. The company has standardized transportation through its Trip Management System and the GPS system. In the logistics industry, the first-mile is the process of collecting packages from the sender and preparing them for transportation. Mid-mile is the process of transporting packages from one hub to another, and the last-mile is the process of delivering packages to the recipient. We are also working on Upaya Connect where we are building the mid-mile SaaS application. We have planned various initiatives to improve efficiency and transparency in each of these stages of the logistics process. Upaya has been working on sector training and capacity building for its delivery partners. For example, the company has provided driver and rider partner training under the UKAID SEEP program to more than 2,000 driver & rider partners, which covers financial literacy, digital literacy, and customer service. This has already led to improvements in the intracity pickup category, and Upaya plans to extend this to the transportation side and intercity trucks in the future. We have also started our Upaya Alliance project where all the transport companies can come and work together sharing our technological & infrastructural resources. This will enable the transporter to expand their reach to routes and cities where they would not have been able to reach before and build their capacity to provide better services to their customers. Getting all these transporters, truck owners, driver partners working under one umbrella, using uniform practice, and operating the same technology will be the biggest challenge as well as the opportunity for Upaya. What were the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the company's business operation? How fast was the recovery in business? The Covid-19 pandemic had a big impact on Upaya's business operations and recovery is taking time. The current market sentiments are low, recovery of due payment is difficult, and customers are holding their growth. The pandemic combined with the Ukraine/Russia war has created a negative impact on Nepal’s economy. However, the company is still trying to grow under a collaboration model with franchise partners, business partners, and alliance partners under these circumstances. Over the past year, we've seen a sharp contraction in business activities and market demand. How has the economic slowdown affected the company's business? If the business was operating normally, the company would have grown tenfold. However, with the current demand being low, Upaya is focusing on strengthening its backend, systems, capacity, and relationships with partners like drivers, fleet owners, transporters, and franchises. The company believes that the current scenario will be overcome in the next 12 months and that once the situation returns to normal, it can grow further as planned. It is time to “build your system”. Upaya in June 2021 and January 2023 received funding from Dolma Impact Fund and Nepal Infrastructures Investment Fund respectively. How did the funding in 2021 help Upaya expand its services in different parts of the country? How has the company planned to spend the funding it has received in the latest series? The funding received from Dolma Impact Fund in 2021 helped Upaya expand its operations into four verticals, namely Upaya On-Demand, Mero Upaya, Upaya Fulfillment, and Upaya Transport. This has enabled us to become a national logistics company from a company operating in Kathmandu Valley. Upaya On Demand is a quick delivery service for express delivery needs. Clients can book a two-wheeler or four-wheeler delivery through the Upaya app and track the delivery in real time. Mero Upaya is a custom logistics service for clients with specific requirements. Upaya provides a customized solution with a contractual agreement and a dashboard to track vehicles. This service allows clients to outsource their logistics and focus on their core business. These two verticals constitute our Market Aggregation model. On the other hand, Upaya Fulfillment is an affordable delivery service for deliveries to multiple places in Nepal. It's ideal for businesses that need to distribute packages to customers or for online businesses looking for delivery services at an affordable price. Upaya Transport is a delivery service for bulk goods all over Nepal. Clients can track their deliveries and have hassle-free delivery with updates from Upaya on the status of their deliveries. The service covers the entire delivery process, from the client to the transport and then to the final destination. These two verticals on the other hand cover our End-to-End (E2E) model. The funding received from Nepal Infrastructures Investment Fund in 2023 is being used to expand the business and move the company toward profitability. As a tech-enabled logistics services company, what are the major areas of focus for Upaya currently? What new opportunities the company is looking to explore? Upaya is not a tech-enabled logistics company but a logistics company enabled by tech. The two look the same but it's different. We are first a logistics company rather than a tech startup. The company uses technology in combination with infrastructural support to make logistics efficient, transparent, and standardized. The next big focus of Upaya is to build state-of-the-art warehouses in five different locations in the country. This is a part of building Upaya 2.0 where we plan to build automated warehouses along with reaching 300 plus pin codes delivery points for delivery all across the country. The company is currently in the process of raising Series B funding, which we expect to close by the end of 2023. How conducive are the policies of the government for a company like Upaya? Currently, the logistics sector is yet to be defined as an "industry" in Nepal, resulting in a fragmented policy environment. Upaya plans to work with key stakeholders such as the government, transport associations, and other industry-related organizations to create a more conducive environment. The company's approach to this challenge is centered on collaboration and building relationships with existing players in the sector. By doing so, Upaya aims to jointly grow the sector while also helping existing players leverage its technologies for mutual growth. The government recently introduced the Trade Logistics Policy. How effective do you think the policy can be to minimize the costs associated with trade and production? The Trade Logistics Policy introduced by the government is an important step towards creating a conducive business environment for logistics companies. However, its effectiveness in minimizing the costs associated with trade and production depends on its successful implementation. For this, coordination and collaboration by all the stakeholders, including the government, logistics companies, and the transportation sector, is crucial. A well-developed legal infrastructure is also necessary to foster a good business environment for logistics companies. This includes clear regulations, procedures, and processes for setting up, operating and scaling up logistics businesses, as well as policies for protecting the rights of the businesses. India introduced the National Logistics Policy to lower the cost of logistics from its current 14 percent of GDP to less than 10 percent which highlights the importance of an integrated approach to reducing the costs associated with trade and production. In Nepal, the cost of logistics currently stands at 20-22 percent which is high and reducing it would greatly benefit the economy and all the consumers. The current draft Trade Logistics Policy 2079 is being introduced by the government, that focuses on three objectives:
- Focused and consolidated development of logistics infrastructure
- Improvement of management of logistic networks through technology
- Create better governance of the logistics industry
Güner Ureya: There is a wide scope of cooperation between Nepal and Kosovo
Güner Ureya is the very first Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo to the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Nepal and Kosovo are yet to establish diplomatic relations. In this context, ApEx talks to him about the prospects of establishment of bilateral ties and other issues. What is the current status of Nepal-Kosovo relations? Nepal still has not officially recognized the independence of the Republic of Kosovo and there is no diplomatic relations between the two countries. This indicates that the ground confirming official relations between the two countries has not been established yet. Additionally, it means that the conditions remain limited for institutional cooperation and for having different win-win situations. People-to-people contacts and cooperation between the civil societies of the two countries are ahead of our corporate initiatives so far. Sadly, trade cooperation between the two countries is very limited. If we formalize bilateral relations, this will automatically bring new perspectives and opportunities for negotiating, signing and implementing bilateral agreements in different fields and for cooperating on multilateral platforms as well. The existence of official relations will also have effects on perceptions in order to make our peoples, companies, artists, sports clubs and other social subjects and branches more interested and bring them closer to each other. Therefore, we attach great importance to being recognized by Nepal and establishing diplomatic relations with your country. What are the prospects for bilateral cooperation? To give an example, the People's Republic of Bangladesh recognized us only a few years ago and now we have a very close relationship. We want similar relations with Nepal as we have a lot of common experiences and traits to share. Both countries are landlocked. The systems of both countries are built on preserving cultural values and multi-ethnic structures of our societies. Both countries` peoples and landscapes are stunning; both have a young and dynamic population. We have opportunities for institutional cooperation, especially in the fields of education, economy and more specifically agriculture. As a new country, we are very successful in sports as well. We can share our experiences with Nepal. Does Kosovo want to become a member of the European Union? Absolutely, becoming a member of the European Union is among the top priorities of our country. The integration of Kosovo together with other Western Balkan countries into the European Union is very important for peace, stability, economic development, and full reconciliation in the region. We submitted our application for membership on December 15th, 2022. We are expecting the EU to grant us the candidate State status in the near future. We believe that our previous efforts in terms of drafting the modern legislation and opportunities to utilize the experiences and knowhow of our friendly countries will contribute to accelerating our membership process. Membership will require more efforts on our part and greater readiness and consent on the part of EU member-states and other relevant bodies. Membership of Kosovo and other candidate States in the European Union will contribute to peace, unity, and a brighter future of Europe. Has there been any attempt to establish bilateral relations? Since the proclamation of the independence of the Republic of Kosovo, we have been in contact with a variety of decision-makers, influencers and activists such as your country's political leaders, business people, civil society leaders, athletes and journalists, etc. These meetings were also aided by international platforms, of which we are a part. We get to know each other better every day. It is important to have diplomatic relations, but more important is to have result-oriented cooperation. Based on our own example, I can say that we have established very good dialogue and developed very good relations in some areas with some countries that still don`t recognize an independent Kosovo. Of course, it will be very valuable to be recognized by Nepal, but at the same time, we value creating strong bonds and a solid foundation for quality cooperation. Are you hopeful of Nepal recognizing Kosovo as an independent country? Yes, that is not only our wish but reasonable expectation that Nepal in near future will recognize the Republic of Kosovo. Because Kosovo's independence is a reality and irreversible. Let me emphasize that more than 110 countries have recognized the independence of my country. A large number of these countries are geographically close to our country and they realized that the Republic of Kosovo’s case is unique and cannot be used as a precedent for other cases. In addition, they considered peace and stability of the region as well as their own peace and stability. On the other hand, it should also be remembered that the International Court of Justice with its advisory opinion in 2010 confirmed the legitimacy of the declaration of the Independence of Kosovo. Although we always receive good-faith feedback from Nepal, unfortunately, we haven’t gotten official recognition from Kathmandu. Nepal is an independent, sovereign, free and egalitarian country, so it determines its foreign policy preferences. We all know that countries have their own sets of priorities. As I have mentioned in my earlier appearances in Nepali media, our hope is that Nepal officially recognizes Kosovo as soon as possible and that the silhouette of your flag is reflected on the Kosovo government building with the words "Thank you Nepal". The sequel will be even better. As Kosovo is celebrating its 15th Anniversary of Independence, what is your message? On February 17, we are celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Kosovo. Despite some challenges, we Kosovars are immensely proud of the progress of our country. In 15 years, the Republic of Kosovo has made remarkable progress in every field. Today, we have a functional and democratic country with a steadily growing economy. We have many reasons to be more hopeful for a better future. Like Nepal, Kosovo is a very beautiful country. Like the Nepalis, Kosovars are very friendly and beautiful. It would not be fair to only make good wishes for our own future. We need to make wishes for our world and work in that direction. Ending wars and resolving disputes would be very important for the future of our world. We must devote our energies to friendships, sustainable development and protecting our planet. Vengeful spirits and destroyed nature cannot be corrected with millions of prayers. We must instill love in people both at home and in the world. I'm sure all Nepalis and Kosovars have these wishes, but it is essential that the whole world be convinced of this. May every anniversary bring goodness to us and to all people in the world.
