KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 18

Minister for Forests and Environment Ain Bahadur Shahi met with Bangladesh's Minister for Forests, Environment, and Climate Change, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, at the COP29 venue today.

Discussions focused on mutual interests, including collaboration on climate change, according to Deepa Oli, Under-Secretary at Nepal's Ministry of Forests and Environment. Minister Shahi highlighted the significance of Nepal-Bangladesh cooperation on climate issues, given the shared challenges faced by both countries.

He also expressed gratitude to Minister Hasan for her pivotal role in the successful energy trade agreement, under which Nepal began exporting 40MW of electricity to Bangladesh on November 16, 2024.

'This collaboration holds even greater importance as both Nepal and Bangladesh approach graduation from least-developed country status,' Minister Shahi remarked.

Minister Hasan reaffirmed the strong ties between Nepal and Bangladesh, established shortly after Bangladesh's independence in 1971, and expressed hope for expanding cooperation in the future.

The meeting took place during the ongoing 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, which runs until November 22.