Kathmandu, Oct. 14
Finance Minister Janardan Sharma has stressed the need for
further strengthening the close partnership between the United States of
America and Nepal in the priority areas of the latter’s economic development,
including information technology, financing for climate change adaptation and
mitigation, investment in green hydrogen and ammonia.
In a meeting on Wednesday with Samantha Power, Administrator
of the USAID, held in Washington D.C. at the latter’s office, they exchanged
views on further strengthening bilateral development cooperation between Nepal
and the United States, the Embassy of Nepal in Washington D.C. said in a
statement on Thursday.
FM Sharma appreciated the longstanding US support in the
socio-economic development of Nepal, informed the embassy. He also invited
Power to visit Nepal at a convenient time.
FM Sharma is now in the United States to participate in the
annual meeting of the World Bank (WB) Group and International Monetary Fund
(IMF). Governor of the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) Maha Prasad Adhikari, Finance
Secretary Krishna Hari Pushkar, and Ambassador of Nepal to the USA, Sridhar
Khatri are included in his delegation.
On October12, FM
Sharma chaired the 53rd Joint Governor’s Annual Meeting of the WB Group
and the IMF of South-East Asia Constituency in Washington, D.C., and
deliberated on the multiple global economic challenges facing the member
countries while stressing the need for scaling up financing to the vulnerable
countries like Nepal to address their developmental and climate challenges.
The embassy said that Minister Sharma also chaired the
executive dialogue session of the annual meeting on scaling up financing for
climate change mitigation and adaptation where member countries shared their
interests and concerns in tackling climate challenges in the region.
“On the sideline of the annual meeting, he hold a meeting
with his Thai counterpart Arkhom Termpittayapaisith and exchanged views on
promoting bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the areas of
tourism, especially cultural tourism to Lumbini, connectivity, trade, and
exchanges in education and training, among others,” read the statement.
Likewise, on October13,
Sharma held a meeting with Martin Raiser, Vice President of the WB for the
South Asian region. During the meeting, the two reviewed the performance of
World Bank-funded projects in Nepal as well as the pipeline projects.
According to the embassy, he highlighted the importance of
climate financing in Nepal, requested Raiser
to prioritise funds for Nepal, particularly in the conservation of the
Himalayas, revitalisation of the rural economy, and development of river-basin
green corridors.
Similarly, Finance Secretary Pushkar held a separate meeting
with Cameron Alford, Vice President of the Department of Compact Operations of
the MCC and exchanged views on the timely implementation of MCC compact in
Nepal.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 15 October 2022.
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