INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Germany welcomes Nepal efforts for investment climate with a pledge to step up cooperation
Kathmandu, July 17
Nepal and Germany have signed
joint declaration of intent on the Establishment of Bilateral Consultation Mechanism whereby joint political consultations between the two
foreign ministries will be held annually.
Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ghanashyam Bhandari and visiting Commissioner
for South Asia at German Federal Foreign Office, Markus Potzel signed the document on behalf of their respective governments yesterday.
&The
consultations will be complementary to the bi-annual consultations on development cooperation led by the Nepali Ministry of Finance and the
German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development,& Potzel said at a joint press conference organised at German Embassy in Kathmandu
today.
Foreign Secretary Shankar Das Bairagi welcomed Potzel to the first joint political consultation between the two foreign ministries,
On the occasion, Bairagi recalled his visit to Berlin in summer 2018, where he was received by Vice Minister Niels Annen at the German
Foreign Office.
The two sides stressed the need for intensifying trade and foreign direct investment linkages, and they welcomed efforts to
promote the German private sector interest in investments in Nepal.
The German side welcomed efforts to foster an open investment climate in
Nepal and pledged support for its ongoing reform measures
Both sides underlined the need for speedy decisions on concrete economic engagements
Germany also pledged support to promote Nepal tourism sector not only in the context of its Visit Nepal-2020 campaign but also in the
The two sides also reviewed the international and regional situation
They agreed on the need to foster rule-based multilateralism and regional cooperation.
&The two sides acknowledged climate change as one of
the most serious existential threats to humanity and agreed to promote collaboration, both at bilateral and multilateral levels,& said
Potzel.
With regards to both countries& membership in the UN Human Rights Council, the Germany appreciated Nepal progress in guaranteeing
basic human rights as enshrined in the 2015 constitution
The German side also appreciated Nepal unique and home-grown peace process and expressed hope that remaining works would be concluded
soon.
&We appreciate the justice ministry efforts to conduct broad consultations for amending transitional justice laws,& said Potzel.
The
two sides underlined significance of exchanging high-level visits in further cementing friendly ties and promoting collaborative
partnerships in the areas of mutual benefits
The two sides were also looking forward to the visit of Vice-minister of German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development Norbert
Barthle, to Kathmandu in October.
The two sides also welcomed the signing of a 24.3 million Euros financial agreement on July 5, which will
serve to upgrade maternal care facilities in Kathmandu valley, the provision of solar energy in remote areas, as well as establishment of
specific credit lines for start-up enterprises in semi-urban and rural areas
Germany also pledged additional four million Euros for technical cooperation to further upgrade the use of solar energy in order to tackle
the challenges of climate change and energy security in Nepal.
The two sides also welcomed the imminent conclusion of an agreement which
will allow diplomats& spouses to take on gainful employment in the host country while the family is posted there.
The two sides also
welcomed the prospects for an upcoming cooperation between the University of Hamburg (Germany), and two institutions in Nepal for the
preservation of the oldest surviving Sanskrit manuscripts, according to a joint press release.
Potzel, who was on a two-day visit to Nepal
from July 16 to 17, said his visit aimed at upgrading relations between Germany and Nepal.
During the visit, Potzel called on Minister of
Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal and Minister of Communications
and Information Technology Gokul Prasad Baskota.
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