Third Nepal-Germany bilateral consultation mechanism meeting discuss cooperation

The third meeting of Nepal-Germany Bilateral Consultation Mechanism in Kathmandu today took stock of overall state of the bilateral relations and cooperation between Nepal and Germany.

Division Head (Joint Secretary) of the Europe America Division under Foreign Ministry Ganesh Prasad Dhakal and director for Indo-Pacific Policy, South Asia, Afghanistan of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany Erik Kurzweil led their respective delegations to the meeting.

At the outset, the two sides reviewed the overall Nepal-Germany relations and ongoing cooperation, according to a press note issued by the Foreign Ministry. 

Joint Secretary Dhakal appreciated the continued German cooperation to Nepal’s development endeavours, whereas director Kurzweil shared about ongoing development cooperation extended to Nepal under German development assistance.

The two co-chairs stressed the need of continuing interactions, including the exchange of high-level visits, between the two countries. “They underscored the importance of enhancing partnerships in productive sectors, including investment and trade,” it reads, adding that Dhakal briefed about the business-friendly policies adopted by Nepal and requested the German side to encourage their participation in the upcoming third Nepal Investment Summit and explore possibilities of further investments in Nepal.

Matters of regional and global importance were also discussed during the meeting. The two co-chairs agreed to work together on matters of common interest, including climate change, at various multilateral for a. Views were also exchanged to further strengthening cultural relations, enhancing people-to-people contacts and connectivity, among others.

The Nepali delegation comprised of senior officials of the Foreign Ministry; Finance Ministry; Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation; Ministry of Forest and Environment; Ministry of Home Affairs; and Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation.

Likewise, the German delegation included ambassador of Germany to Nepal Dr Thomas Prinz and other officials of the Embassy of Germany.

German vice minister visiting Nepal

German vice minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Norbert Barthle is arriving in Kathmandu tomorrow on a three-day visit to Nepal.
The visit underlines Germany’s wish to continue its long-standing partnership with Nepal by adding a new dimension to it, according to a press note issued by German Embassy in Kathmandu.
During his stay in Nepal, the vice minister will call on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and discuss political and economic matters. He is also scheduled to hold meeting with other government officials and attend Germany National Day celebration as a guest of honour tomorrow, the press note reads, adding that he will attend the inauguration of the German Technical School in Dhunebesi Municipality in Dhading district on Friday. “He is also scheduled to inaugurate the National Load Dispatch Center (NLDC), which is financially supported through the German Development Cooperation with a grant of 7 million euros.”
The NLDC is technically-improved and will be the heart of the Nepali power grid. “Strong development cooperation will continue as in the past six decades,” the press note further reads, adding that it will be showcased by the inauguration of the Load Dispatch Center. “Energy, especially renewal energy, is one of the three pillars of German-Nepali cooperation, the other two being health and sustainable economic development.”
According to the press note, Germany will also continue to make significant contributions through the European Union (EU) as well as multilateral institutions, namely the development banks and the UN System. “However, as Nepal is opening a new political and economic chapter of its life as a nation, its partnership with Germany will also change,” German envoy to Nepal Roland Schäfer is quoted in the press note. “Private industries from Germany are starting to explore opportunities in Nepal.”
Ambassador Schäfer said – according to the press note – that vice minister Barthle will also meet with the participants of the first business-to-business forum. “The visiting minister’s support to the German Technical School in Dhading shows that professional training will be key to developing future industrial relationship with Germany and the whole of Europe.”

Nepal, German sign financial accord

Finance Secretary Rajan Khanal and German Ambassador to Nepal Roland Schäfer today signed a financial cooperation agreement of Euro 24.3 million (equivalent to Rs 3.2 billion) on behalf of their respective governments. The total volume of bilateral technical and financial cooperation from Germany since cooperation began in 1959 amounts to around Euro 979.6 million of grant assistance, according to a press release issued by the German Embassy today.
The grant assistance committed by the Federal Government of Germany in September 2018 will be used for the promotion of solar energy in rural areas, improvement of mother and child care in urban areas and sustainable economic development in rural and semi-urban areas, the release reads.
Under these programmes, German Development Bank KfW, on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, is implementing promotion of solar energy in rural areas to support solar energy technologies such as solar pumping systems for drinking water and for irrigation, solar systems for public institutions like schools, health centres and government offices.
The bank is also implementing a project related to ‘improvement of mother and child care in urban areas including in Kathmandu-based Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hospital. The project will construct and rehabilitate the extension of health facilities for up to four satellite centres. These satellite centres will provide both in-patient and out-patient services to women and children closer to their residencies.
Sustainable economic development project in rural and semi-urban areas is the continuation of earlier support to improve access to target-group oriented loans, predominantly in rural and semi-urban Nepal and in particular for loan sizes which go beyond microfinance but remain below traditional corporate finance.
Both governments expressed their commitments to ensuring a successful and timely implementation of these key projects, according to the press release.

The projects:
Improvement of Mother-Child Care in Urban Areas – Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hospital, Kathmandu – Support in terms of construction and rehabilitation of health facilities to up to four satellite centers for
• Promotion of Solar Energy in Rural Areas – Support for Nepal’s solar energy technologies such as solar pumping systems for drinking water/irrigation, solar systems for public institutions – health centers, government offices and schools
• Sustainable Economic Development in Rural and Semi-Urban-Areas-MSME Finance/Phase 2 – Support in terms of improving access to sustainable and target-group oriented loans mainly in rural and semi-urban areas of Nepal. This support also includes loan sizes beyond microfinance but remain below traditional corporate finance.