Kathmandu, September 22

The government of Germany has pledged to extend support worth 55.6 million euros, which is equivalent to Rs 7.5 billion, over the next two years.

The support was pledged during talks for development assistance held in Berlin recently, according to the Ministry of Finance (MoF).

Apart from the aforementioned pledged amount of assistance, the Nepali delegation led by Shri Krishna Nepal, joint

secretary of MoF, also signed an agreement to mobilise additional grant assistance worth 15 million euros under the Energy Efficiency Programme.

The German government has granted a total of 31 million euros for Lekhanath (Kaski)-to-Damauli (Tanahu) 220 kVA transmission line under the Energy Efficiency Programme. MoF Joint Secretary Nepal and Yasmin Tawfik, South Asia

regional manager of the KfW Bank, signed the agreement to mobilise additional grant for the transmission line project.

The government of Germany has expressed commitment to provide regular assistance in the future for development of energy and health sectors, as well as for economic sustainability of Nepal. The German government has been providing support for renewable energy, health, urban development, peace and reconstruction, as per MoF.

The Nepali delegation led by Joint Secretary Nepal, who is also the head of International Economic Cooperation Coordination Division under MoF, also paid a courtesy call to Robbin Juhnke, member of Berlin House of Representatives and authorities of the Federal Representation of the Federal State of North-Rhine Westphalia.

The talks between Nepali and German authorities held recently in Berlin was addressed by the Head of the Directorate for Asia Gisela Hammerschimidt and Nepali Ambassador to Germany Ramesh Khanal.

The six-member delegation from Nepal had also held discussions on various areas of cooperation with the German delegation led by Wolfram Klein, South Asia Division head at Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development.