Nepal, New Zealand agree to increase trade volume

Kathmandu, May 29: Nepal and New Zealand have agreed to explore avenues to increase the bilateral trade volume and enhance the economic engagements. 

A delegation-level bilateral meeting between Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of New Zealand Winston Peters, held in Kathmandu on Wednesday evening, also underlined the importance of cooperation in tourism considering it as an important pillar of economy in both the countries. 

“We underscored the need to share and exchange our experiences, knowledge in the field,” FM Dr. Rana said in the press briefing following the meeting with the visiting delegation. 

Both the leaders appreciated the role played by Nepali diaspora in New Zealand in bringing two countries and peoples closer and underlined the importance of people-to-people connections for sound and sustainable bilateral relations between the countries.

Seeking to further the meaningful cooperation in the areas like agriculture, trade, investment tourism, education and multilateral engagements, they stressed on regular exchange of high-level visits and expressed our commitment to maintain the momentum created in recent years. 

In the Fiscal Year 2023/24, Nepal exported goods worth Rs. 153.8 million to New Zealand and imported merchandise worth Rs. 2.14 billion. 

Likewise, cooperation enhancement on multilateral platforms was another area of discussion during the meeting. “We laid emphasis on further strengthening our cooperation through multilateral forums including the UN on various global issues such as climate change, sustainable development and multilateralism,” said FM Dr. Rana. 

FM Dr. Rana and DPM Peters recalled the contribution of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa in initiating and elevating Nepal-New Zealand relations through their ascendance to Everest and continued subsequent activities that brought our two countries and peoples closer. Hillary and Norgay reached the top of the world on May 29, 1953. 

DPM Peters said that the Himalayan Trust, established by Sir Hillary, is a symbol of deep development cooperation between the two nations. 

According to him, New Zealand will support Nepal in education, development and trade. 

“We both share interests in regional and global security. We have strong commitment to multilateralism and addressing global challenges together,” said DPM Peters. 

DPM Peters arrived in Kathmandu on Wednesday on a two-day official visit. This is the highest-level visit from New Zealand to Nepal. 

Earlier, in the afternoon, DPM Peters called on President Ramchandra Paudel at his office in Shital Niwas on Wednesday afternoon. 

According to a statement issued by Ishwari Prasad Pandey, Deputy Spokesperson of the Office of the President, bilateral relations between Nepal and New Zealand and issues of mutual interest were discussed at the meeting. 

President Paudel said that such high-level visits will further strengthen the historical friendship between the two nations and bilateral cooperation. 

He also expressed his confidence that people-to-people relations between the two countries would be solidified through Himalayan Trust, educational exchanges and cooperation at various international platforms. 

Likewise, DPM Peters also called on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli at the latter’s residence in Baluwatar. 

According to PM Oli’s Secretariat, the two leaders discussed the potential for collaboration in the fields of agriculture, tourism, education, trade, and investment.

Prime Minister Oli informed that the current government, under the national aspiration of a Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali, has prioritised stability, development, good governance, social justice, and social transformation. 

Deputy Prime Minister Peters praised Nepal’s efforts towards development and prosperity, emphasising the need for collaboration on common interests of small nations in the international forums.