Nepal – Germany bilateral relations and cooperation reviewed

The third meeting of the Nepal-Germany Bilateral Consultation Mechanism concluded in Kathmandu on March 20, taking stock of the overall state of bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries.

Joint Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ganesh Prasad Dhakal, Director for Indo-Pacific Policy, South Asia of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, Erik Kurzweil, led their respective delegations during the meeting.

“During the bilateral meeting, the two sides reviewed the overall Nepal-Germany relations and ongoing cooperation,” according to a statement issued by Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

On the occasion, Joint Secretary Dhakal appreciated the continued cooperation of Germany to Nepal’s development endeavours, reads the press statement.

Similarly, Director Kurzweil shared about ongoing development cooperation extended to Nepal under German development assistance.

“The two co-chairs underscored the need of continuing interactions, including the exchange of high-level visits, between the two countries. They underlined the importance of enhancing partnership in productive sectors, including investment and trade.”

Joint-Secretary Dhakal briefed about the business-friendly policies adopted by Nepal and urged the German side to encourage their participation in the upcoming upcoming Nepal Investment Summit 2024 and explore possibilities of future investments in Nepal. Nepal government has announced to convene the third Nepal Investment Summit from April 28-29 with a view to attracting foreign direct investment in Nepal.

Similarly, matters pertaining to regional and global importance were also discussed during the meeting. The two co-chairs agreed to work together on matters relating to common interest, including climate change at various multilateral fora, reads the statement.

“The two sides also exchanged their views with a view to further strengthening cultural relations, enhancing people-to-people contacts and connectivity, among others.”

The Nepali delegation comprised of senior officials of the Foreign Ministry, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Ministry of Forest and Environment, Minisstry of Energy, Water Resources and irrigation among others. Likewise, the German delegation included Ambassador of Germany to Nepal, Thomas Prinz and other officials of the Embassy of Germany.