Kathmandu, Jan 18 : The third meeting of Nepal-France Bilateral Consultation Mechanism was held in Kathmandu on Tuesday.
A wide range of matters relating to
bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries were discussed
during the meeting led by the Joint Secretary at the Ministry Sewa Lamsal on
Nepali side and Director for Asia and Oceania at the French Ministry for Europe
and Foreign Affairs Bertrand Lortholary on the French side, the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs said in a press release.
The two sides reviewed the overall
state of bilateral relations. They discussed ways and means to enhance
bilateral trade and investment, transfer of technology and tourism for mutual
benefit as well as measures for economic recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic.
The centuries-old cultural exchange and the ever-increasing people-to-people contacts were also discussed during the meeting.
Nepali side shared about the
country’s graduation from the LDC status in 2026 and the preparation of
transition strategy and requested for the continuation of support measures
provided by France as well as the EU in terms of market access and development
cooperation.
The meeting adopted Nepal-France
Green Roadmap which emphasizes, among other areas, on the importance of
developing renewable energy projects, investing in low-carbon and resilient
infrastructure, protecting forests, acting to prevent natural disasters and
incorporating climate change adaptation into national, local and sectoral
planning documents.
The two sides also discussed
possible cooperation in mutually beneficial areas at multilateral level.
Nepali delegation included the
officials from Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Forest and Environment
as well as Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation while the French delegation
included the Ambassador of France in Kathmandu and other officials. (RSS)