The Nepal Weekly 
June 7, 2022The Foreign Ministries of Nepal and Finland held the second edition of the Bilateral Consultations in Helsinki on Thursday. Foreign Secretary of Nepal Bharat Raj Paudyal and Jukka Salovaara, Permanent State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Finland, led their respective delegations to the Consultations.
“During the consultations, the delegations exchanged views on further strengthening the Nepal-Finland friendly relations and promoting the scope of cooperation.”
They underscored the importance of high-level visits and interactions at all levels, while highlighting the need of enhancing economic engagements in the days ahead, reads a press release issued by Nepal Embassy at Copenhagen, Denmark. “The two sides agreed to give new momentum to trade, investment tourism and other productive sectors, bilaterally as well as through the EU mechanisms.”
The Nepali side thanked Finland for its support and solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic, reads the statement. Nepal also appreciated the Finnish cooperation in various sectors, which has contributed to the realisation of SDGs. “The Finnish side commended achievements Nepal has made in the recent times, including in the institutionalisation of democratic processes, gender equality and inclusion.”
Finland assured Nepal of its continued cooperation to Nepal’s socioeconomic development, as the country prepares for postCOVID economic recovery, reads the statement. “The two sides also discussed matters of regional and global importance, including climate change, connectivity and multilateralism.”
The Finnish delegation comprised Ambassador of Finland to Nepal Pertti Anttinen and senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland. The Nepali delegation included Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nirmal Raj Kafle, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Finance Chakra Bahadur Budha and Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Nepal in Denmark Tirtha Raj Aryal.
