Chiran Sharma: LONDON – Two Nepalis, who traveled to Ukraine via India for foreign employment, are currently stranded.

Rajendra Kumar Raut, Chief Executive Officer of the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA), has contacted 28-year-old Jayprakash Shah from Rautahat and 23-year-old Sandesh KC from Baglung, who have remained under the control of the local Ukrainian government since last July.

According to Raut, they asked the Non-Resident Nepali Association and the Nepal government to take immediate steps to rescue them safely. Authorities are currently holding them at an immigration office in Kyiv.

The NRNA requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Nepali Ambassador to Germany, Dr Shail Rupakheti, to facilitate their rescue.

Meanwhile, Dr Badri KC, President of the Non-Resident Nepali Association, directed the association’s central office to act immediately on the rescue operation with support from the Nepal government.

Earlier, the Non-Resident Nepali Association and the Nepali Embassy in Germany had rescued two Nepalis who had been stranded in Ukraine for nine months.

During a bilateral meeting in New Delhi, Foreign Minister Dr Arju Rana Deuba clarified to Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha that Nepal does not recruit Nepali citizens into the Russian army and urged him to release the seven Nepalis held as prisoners of war as soon as possible.