Foreign Minister NP Saud held a bilateral meeting with the US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken at the Department of State in Washington D.C. on Monday and exchanged views on matters of common interest in bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of common concern.

During the meeting, both 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, the Nepali Embassy in Washington D.C. said in a statement.

The foreign minister highlighted the 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 United States in the areas of trade and investment, market access, food security and IT sector among others.

He requested the United States for reauthorisation and expansion of the Nepal Trade Preference Programme and GSP facilities by adding new exportable items of interest for Nepal, according to the statement.

Minister Saud thanked the US government for its continued cooperation for the socioeconomic development of Nepal, including the recent US assistance through USAID and the Millennium Challenge Compact. 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 for Nepal’s development endeavours.

Blinken said Nepal is a very valued partner in the Indo-Pacific

“We’re working together to ensure that we have a free, open, secure, prosperous region. And in so many ways, Nepal is leading, not just in the region but globally, as a very constructive actor in international organizations – of course, with so many peacekeepers who are trying to help people move from conflict to peace around the world,” he said.

“And in our own bilateral relationship, we’re working to deepen it and strengthen it even more, particularly with more people-to-people ties, and as well, economic ties and investment.”

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 the Middle East.

During the bilateral meeting, Minister Saud was accompanied by the Nepali Ambassador to the United States 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.

Minister Saud left Kathmandu on Sunday for an official visit to the United States.

The visit at the foreign minister’s level is taking place after nearly five years. Former foreign minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali travelled to Washington DC in December 2018. During that visit, a statement by the State Department sparked controversy in Kathmandu when it categorically mentioned that Gyawali and his counterpart, Michael R Pompeo, discussed Nepal’s central role in the US Indo-Pacific Strategy.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the foreign minister will also hold meetings with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development Samantha Power, Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation Alice P. Albright and other high-level officials of the US government.

He will also meet with Congressman Mike Carey, Nepal Caucus co-chair in the US Congress.

Other engagements of the Foreign Minister include a talk programme at the United States Institute of Peace, interaction with the Nepali-American business community, meeting with the IT advisory network, and interactions with Non-Resident Nepali Association representatives and Nepali-American professionals.

The Nepali delegation consists of the Nepali Ambassador to the United States Sridhar Khatri and senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Embassy of Nepal in Washington D.C. as well as presidents of the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industries and the American Chamber of Commerce in Nepal.

Foreign Minister Saud will return home on November 5.