Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that he is trying to repatriate those Nepali soldiers who have been recruited by Russia in the Russian army.
During a speech given to the House of Representatives after the recent change in government, Dahal said that he is engaged in diplomatic talks with Russia in order to stop the recruitment of Nepali citizens into the Russian army.
“Recruitment of Nepali citizens in Russian military is illegal, has been conveyed to the Russian government. We have heightened our diplomatic efforts to stop the recruitment of Nepali in the Russian Army and repatriate those already recruited in the (Russian) force,” Dahal said.
He said that the government is also trying to get the bodies of those Nepali soldiers killed in the Russian army and compensate their families. He added that he is also trying to arrange the release of those Nepali soldiers who are being held captive by the Ukrainian army.
“Russia has agreed to pay the compensation as well as the insurance money to the families of those killed in the combat zone while fighting for Russia,” he said.
He also said that the Foreign Minister of Nepal and his Russian counterpart are also holding discussions in order to resolve this issue.
Nepal has also issued a formal warning to its citizens to not travel to Russia to take part in the war against Ukraine. According to the Nepalese Foreign Ministry, anyone who travels to Russia to join the Russian military will need to obtain a No Objection Letter (NOL) from the Consular Service Department.