Nepal’s Foreign Minister Saud meets Blinken; seeks US support for enhanced investment and market access

Kathmandu: Requesting for reauthorisation and expansion of the Nepal Trade Preference Programme (NTPP), Nepal has sought enhanced support from the US in areas like trade and investment, market access, food security and IT.

Nepal’s request came at a bilateral meeting between Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Prakash Saud and the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Department of State in Washington, DC on Monday, according to Saud’s secretariat here on Tuesday.

“The Foreign Minister highlighted development priorities of Nepal in the context of the country’s graduation from the least developed country and called for an enhanced level of support from the US in the areas of trade and investment, market access, food security and IT sector, among others,” Saud’s office said.

“The Foreign Minister requested the United States for reauthorisation and expansion of Nepal Trade Preference Programme (NTPP) and GSP facilities by adding new exportable items of interest for Nepal,” it added.

NTPP is a US government programme that provides Nepal non-reciprocal preferential trade benefits on specified products through December 31, 2025. These preferences were provided to assist Nepal in its recovery from the devastating April 2015 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks.

“I met with Nepali Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud to highlight US investment in Nepal, including a USD 500M compact from @MCCgov to support economic growth,” Blinken posted, along with a photo of the two leaders warmly shaking hands, on his official X handle after the meeting.

Created by the US Congress in January 2004 with strong bipartisan support, MCC partners with the world’s poorest countries that are committed to just and democratic governance, economic freedom and investing in their populations.

Blinken’s post also mentioned that “the US sends our condolences to families of Nepali students who were victims of Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel.” Ten Nepali students were killed when the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a barrage of rocket attacks in Southern Israel on October 7.

The two countries -- Nepal and the US -- exchanged views on matters of common interest in bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of common concern, Saud’s office said, adding, “During the meeting, the two sides expressed satisfaction over the current state of bilateral relations between Nepal and the USA while renewing their commitment to expand and deepen engagements across the areas of mutual interests.”

Minister Saud “thanked the US government for its continued cooperation for the socio-economic development of Nepal, including the recent US assistance through USAID and Millennium Challenge Compact (MCC). Both sides stressed the importance of timely implementation of the projects under the MCC.”

“Appreciating Nepal’s progress in consolidating democratic governance, Secretary Blinken expressed that the US Government wishes to see Nepal as a strong and prosperous democracy. Secretary Blinken assured the Foreign Minister that the US would continue its support to Nepal’s development endeavours,” the statement by Minister Saud’s secretariat said.

The two sides also exchanged views on Nepal-US cooperation in multilateral forums, and other matters of common concern in regional and global affairs, including the ongoing situation in West Asia.

During the bilateral meeting, Minister Saud was accompanied by Nepal’s Ambassador to the US Sridhar Khatri and other senior officials from the Ministry and the Embassy. Secretary Blinken was accompanied by US Ambassador to Nepal Dean Thompson and senior officials from the Department of State.