Senior US diplomat meets Nepal PM Deuba; discusses bilateral ties and Summit for Democracy

US Assistant Secretary of State, South and Central Asia, Donald Lu met Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba at the latter's residence here on Thursday, discussing the bilateral ties, post-pandemic recovery, Millennium Conference Challenge and the much-talked about Summit for Democracy to be hosted by President Joe Biden.

Lu's visit comes as the US and Nepal mark 75 years of diplomatic relations.

''Various matters concerning Nepal-US relations, cooperation in the context of COVID-19 pandemic, post-pandemic recovery and other matters of common interests featured during the meeting,'' the Nepalese Foreign Ministry said.

''The discussion also covered various areas of Nepal's development priorities as well as the United States' cooperation, including the Millennium Conference Challenge,'' the ministry said, adding ''both sides expressed satisfaction on the overall state of Nepal-US relations.'' The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a bilateral foreign aid agency of the United States, established by the US Congress in 2004. Its annual budget is estimated to be around USD 800 million to USD 1 billion, with the stated aim of fighting global poverty.

''The prime minister thanked the US government for continued cooperation in the socio-economic development of Nepal. He expressed appreciation for the generous support of COVID-19 vaccines to Nepal,'' the ministry said.

The assistant secretary assured Prime Minister Deuba of continued US cooperation with Nepal, it added.

The assistant secretary appreciated the progress made by Nepal in consolidating democracy and thanked Deuba for confirming participation in the forthcoming Summit for Democracy, the ministry added. On December 9-10, President Biden will host the first of two Summits for Democracy, which will bring together leaders from government, civil society, and the private sector to set forth an affirmative agenda for democratic renewal and to tackle the greatest threats faced by democracies today through collective action.

Deuba ''highlighted Nepal's democratic credentials and the commitment to human rights and the rule of law,'' the foreign ministry said.

Lu and Deuba also discussed the recently concluded COP-26 (2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference) as well as the adverse impact of climate change on the Himalayan nation's economy, said the ministry.

''Assistant Secretary of State Lu conveyed the US government's planned support in the areas of adaptation and mitigation through climate finance and technology transfer.'' Meanwhile, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Kelly Keiderling arrived in Nepal later on Thursday. Lu had arrived on Wednesday.

''Asst Secretary Lu and Deputy Assistant Secretary Keiderling reiterated the United States' commitment to continuing its support and partnership with Nepal in the areas of mutual interest like COVID-19, climate change and others,'' US Ambassador to Nepal, Randy Berry, tweeted.

Apart from meetings with top government officials, the two American leaders are expected to visit cultural heritage sites and meetings with emerging civil society leaders.

The visit from Washington takes place at a time when China is stepping up its forays into Nepal through various infrastructure ventures, including the trans-Himalayan connectivity projects, under Beijing's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

China launched the BRI in 2013 to fund infrastructure projects across the world, taking advantage of its USD 3.21 trillion forex reserves to further Beijing's global influence.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)