KATHMANDU, JULY 28

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba received a telephone call from US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken last evening and both had a cordial conversation.

The Secretary of State extended warm congratulations to the prime minister on his appointment. During the conversation, matters regarding bilateral relations and cooperation, including priority issues, such as COVID vaccine cooperation and assistance of medical equipment and supplies to Nepal were discussed.

Prime Minister Deuba expressed appreciation to the US government for providing assistance of 1.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines and sought further assistance of appropriate vaccines to cover children and the younger population for the prevention of a widely speculated third wave of the pandemic.

The prime minister thanked the US government for continued cooperation in the socio-economic development of Nepal. The conversation also covered various areas of Nepal's development priorities, the United States' cooperation and the MCC.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two sides discussed issues of global warming and climate change and its impact on the economies of mountainous countries such as Nepal, which is vulnerable to climate change.

PM Deuba underlined Nepal's democratic credentials and the commitment to human rights and rule of law.

PM Deuba also asked the secretary of state to convey his greetings and best wishes to the US President Joseph Biden and Vice-president Kamala Harris and expressed his willingness to work closely with the Biden administration.

A version of this article appears in the print on July 29 2021, of The Himalayan Times.