British Minister Meets PM Dahal, Pledges Support and Grants

British Minister of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Andrew Mitchell, paid a courtesy visit to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Tuesday, marking a significant discussion on bilateral interests and development matters.

The meeting, held at the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar, encompassed talks on various dimensions of development, mutual concerns, and matters of bilateral interest.

During the discussion, PM Dahal sought cooperation from the visiting British Minister to encourage British investors’ participation in Nepal’s upcoming Investment Summit scheduled for April this year. PM Dahal expressed confidence that discussions within the bilateral mechanism of Nepal and the UK would address the demands of British Gurkha soldiers, anticipating positive outcomes in the near future.

In a significant development, Nepal and the UK signed two grants agreements, namely Green Growth Nepal and Nepal in Business, totaling Pound Sterling 70 million (approximately Rs 11.70 billion) on the same day.

British Minister Mitchell pledged further support to Nepal for its socio-economic development and emphasized collaboration on climate change-related agendas.

The event saw the presence of Dr. Rupak Sapkota, PM Dahal’s Foreign Affairs Advisor, British Ambassador to Nepal Rob Fenn, and high-ranking government officials from both countries, signifying the importance of the discussions held.