Nepal to continue contributing troops to UN

Nepal would like to continue contributing troops to the UN peacekeeping missions, the government said Tuesday.

Speaking on the occasion of the 68th UN Day here, Khil Raj Regmi, chief of the council of ministers, said Nepal took pride in its continuous participation in UN peacekeeping operations around the world, reports Xinhua.

He assured that, as a peace loving country, Nepal would always like to remain on the top of list of countries contributing troops to the noble cause of peacekeeping.

Regmi also described the UN as a "key partner" in the country's peace process since the signing of the comprehensive peace accord with former Maoist rebels in 2006.

"The presence of the UN's mission in Nepal in the formative stages of the peace process provided the much needed confidence to the government and the political parties to steer the nation towards peace and stability," Regmi added.

Nepal became a member of the UN in 1955 and, since then, has been an active participant of most of UN's endeavours. The participation of the Nepalese Army in the UN peacekeeping operations spans a period of 53 years covering 37 UN missions, in which over 97,182 personnel have participated so far.