KATHMANDU, JANUARY 18

The third meeting of Nepal-France Bilateral Consultation Mechanism was held in Kathmandu yesterday.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a wide range of matters related to bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries were discussed during the meeting led by the Joint Secretary at the MoFA Sewa Lamsal from the Nepali side and Director for Asia and Oceania at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs Bertrand Lortholary from the French side.

The Nepali delegation included officials from the 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.

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, said the MOFA.

The Nepali side shared the country's goal of graduating from LDC status in 2026 and the preparation for transition strategy and requested the continuation of support measures provided by France as well as the EU in terms of market access and development cooperation.

As per the MoFA, the meeting adopted Nepal-France Green Roadmap which emphasises, among other areas, 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 the multilateral level.

A version of this article appears in the print on January 19, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.