As the President of the Nepal Britain Society, I am happy to welcome His Excellency Rob Fenn and Julia Fenn to Kathmandu. We are also celebrating the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Friendship Treaty between Nepal and Great Britain.

I would like to extend a special welcome to His Excellency Rob Fenn, the British Ambassador and honorary Trustee of our society. The Nepal Britain Society will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2024. This is a significant milestone for one of Nepal's oldest friendship societies. The celebration will be a memorable event. In 2016, the Nepal Britain Society marked the 200th anniversary of bilateral relations between Nepal and Britain.

The celebration included a variety of activities, such as a musical program, a Shakespeare drama, A Mid-Summer Night's Dream at the British School, charitable programs, a book launch, and an art exhibition. We can hold events to celebrate our 60th and 100th anniversaries.

We would like to thank the United Kingdom for their friendship, support, and cooperation in the past year, as well as their efforts in the development field. The United Kingdom, as one of the greatest financial supporters, has shown true friendship and goodwill to Nepal at all times. On behalf of the Nepali people gathered here, as the President of the Society, we thank the British government for their ongoing support of Nepal.

Additionally, we appreciate the British Government's generous support of our heritage conservation activities in Nepal.

In March 2016, I had the privilege of welcoming and showing HRH Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the newly restored Visheshwor Temple and the Patan Durbar Square. Late H.E. Richard Morris and Rohit Ranjitkar of the KVPT were also present. The temples were destroyed in the earthquake but were restored and built with British Aid.

Our Society members are mostly people who have studied, worked, and lived in the UK. They attended prestigious schools and universities and have returned to Nepal to make a difference with the knowledge gained from their British education.

The Nepal Britain Society is the oldest bilateral friendship society in Nepal, consisting of members from the diplomatic corps, bankers, doctors, businessmen, hoteliers, professionals, educationists, journalists, and civil society.

The Nepal Britain Society has supported theatre, arts, and philanthropic causes for years. It is a voluntary organization, and its executive members have dedicated their time to establish it as a cultural and philanthropic organization. The society is non-profit and has provided financial support to many worthy causes, such as burn victims, through fundraising.

I would like to express my gratitude to Mrs. Greta Rana, our board members, and the person responsible for organizing the plays and comedies we have hosted for the past 20 years. Mrs. Rana's energy, direction, and vision have made it possible for our New Shakespeare Wallahs and other aspiring actors to stage numerous productions, bringing much laughter and joy to theater enthusiasts in Kathmandu.

The plays were mostly held at the Sterling Club in the British Embassy, hostels, and the British School. Nowadays, they are performed in many local theater halls in Kathmandu, all committed to elevating the level of theater in Nepal.

In 2015, we were privileged to see Hamlet performed by the Global Theatre in London, which toured 145 countries. The play was staged in Bhaktapur in collaboration with the British Council. It was a once-in-a-lifetime treat for many of us. To celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, we presented Shakespeare's Twelfth Night during the COVID pandemic. Despite the challenges, we successfully executed the event with a packed crowd.

Our past activities will be highlighted in the video presentation by Sanjiv and Kapil. We plan to organize more programs in the near future.

We also mourn the passing of His Royal Highness, the late Duke of Prince Philip, who was a Patron of the Nepal Britain Society and had visited Nepal many times. During his visit to the British Embassy to open the Sterling Club, some of us had the privilege of meeting him.

Before concluding, we would like to pay tribute to all the NS members who have passed away in the last two years. They were all distinguished members of society, leaders in their respective fields, and served their country Nepal.

Thank you all for being here tonight and for your love, help, and support of the Nepal Britain Society. Your memberships and interest are essential to the society's function.

I would also like to thank the Trustees and board members for their ongoing assistance in running the society's many activities. I want to thank Jitendra Rajbhandary, Kapil Lohani, and Sanjiv Pandey for their contributions to the society. Sanjiv Pandey has been particularly helpful in sending invitations and emails for our programs and participating in them with enthusiasm.

We are excited to collaborate with H.E. Rob Fenn and the British Embassy to promote goodwill and friendship between our countries and people.

We wish His Majesty King Charles III a speedy recovery and also extend our best wishes to Her Royal Highness Katherine, Princess of Wales, for good health. Have a pleasant evening and a happy Easter and Nepal New Year.

Pande is the President of NBS. Excerpts of her statement delivered at the program.