Nepal and Australia agree to enhance cooperation

Kathmandu, Aug. 16: Nepal and Australia have agreed to enhance existing cooperation between the two countries.

They discussed on further strengthening the overall relations and cooperation between the two countries in the first meeting of Bilateral Consultation Mechanism between Nepal and Australia held in Kathmandu on Thursday.

Exchange of high level visits, strengthening collaboration and cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, tourism, human resource development, energy, connectivity and education were the key areas discussed during the meeting, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Foreign Secretary Shankar Das Bairagi highlighted the policies of the government on foreign affairs and priorities in development endeavours and elaborated Nepal’s relationship with Australia, priorities and future course of action for bilateral engagement.

Joint-Secretary of the MoFA Tapas Adhikari and Assistant Secretary of Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Australia Andrew Collins had led the discussions from their respective side.

Similarly, Ainsley Hemming, Head of Development Cooperation at the Australian Embassy, Nepal, Graham Murphy, Deputy Head of Mission, Emily D'ATH, Officer, DFAT and Lyndall Corbett and Elizabeth Renneberg from Australian High Commission, New Delhi also contributed the discussion from Australian side.

The MoFA and DFAT Australia had established Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on 14 July 2017.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 17 August 2018.