US Congress delegation calls on PM Deuba

Kathmandu, Apr. 23

The United States congressional delegation led by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Saturday morning.

During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on various aspects of Nepal-US relations and cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) informed in a statement.

The Prime Minister thanked the US Congress for its continued support to Nepal, including during the difficult times of the 2015 earthquakes and the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

"Both sides underscored the importance of parliamentary interactions for the enrichment of the multidimensional Nepal-US friendship. Views were also exchanged on institutionalizing democracy and cooperation in climate change," read the statement.

Likewise, the US Embassy in Kathmandu said in a tweet that the two sides discussed ways to further bolster ties, including by addressing climate crisis and strengthening democratic resilience.

Earlier on Friday, the visiting US delegation had called on Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Narayan Khadka at the latter’s office where he appreciated the longstanding US cooperation to Nepal’s development endeavours and expressed hope that the visit by the US delegation to Nepal will contribute to further strengthening of the bilateral relations.

According to the MoFA, the US congressional delegation reaffirmed the commitment to working closely with Nepal on the matters of common interests. The matters related to agriculture and food security as well as Nepal’s role in the UN peacekeeping also featured during the conversation.

The Nepal-US Parliamentary Friendship Group in the Federal Parliament of Nepal also held an interaction with the visiting US congressional delegation which also includes Senators Sheldon Whitehouse, Cory Booker, Mark Kelly, and Representative Mondaire Jones. The delegation is on a three-day visit to Nepal which will conclude on Sunday.

This year marks the 75^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and the United States.

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 24 April 2022.