Nepal and the United States are planning high-level visits and a series of other engagements next year as the two countries mark the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Nepal and the US established diplomatic ties in 1947. Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said both sides are preparing a series of events, including high-level visits, trade and investment promotion, and cooperation in information technology and artificial intelligence, in Kathmandu and Washington to commemorate the anniversary.

Since there has been no high-level visit from the United States since 2002, Nepal is proposing a visit by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, among others, the officials said. Then-US Secretary of State Colin Powell paid an official visit to Nepal in January 2002. Since then, there have been several high-level visits from the Nepali side at the highest political level, but Washington’s visits are only represented by the undersecretary of state, parliamentarians and other officials.

Although details of the programmes and events are still under discussion, foreign ministry officials said Nepal wants to focus on exchanges between the business communities of the two countries, attracting US investment in diverse sectors, seeking a major infrastructure project and mobilising the Nepali diaspora in the United States.

Speaking at an event organised by the Centre for Social Innovation and Foreign Policy (CESIF) on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said Nepal-US bilateral relations represent one of Nepal’s earliest and most enduring partnerships with the Western world.

“Our engagement has never been transactional; it is anchored in shared democratic values, mutual respect, and rich people-to-people connections,” Khanal said.

Highlighting US assistance to Nepal’s socioeconomic development, Khanal referred to American support for public health, including the landmark 1954 malaria control initiative and the 1958 National Malaria Eradication Programme, which helped open the fertile Tarai plains for settlement and agriculture. He also cited the contributions of Peace Corps volunteers, the Fulbright programme and academic exchanges.

“Today, this cooperation advances into high-impact infrastructure, as investments in clean energy transmission corridors and road connectivity. As Nepal prepares for its graduation from the Least Developed Country status, our bilateral relationship must evolve decisively beyond traditional development assistance,” he said.

Khanal said Nepal envisages a forward-looking partnership with the United States focused on three strategic pillars.

“First, we are advancing digital transformation by connecting Nepal’s talented youth and IT workforce with American innovation ecosystems and capital. Second, we are driving clean energy and climate resilience by developing sustainable hydropower, cross-border transmission grids, and protective measures for our fragile Himalayan ecosystem. Third, we are mobilising human capital and entrepreneurship by engaging the vibrant Nepali diaspora in the United States to foster technology transfer, trade links, and enterprise development,” he said.

At the same event, Scott Urbom, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. at the US Embassy in Kathmandu, highlighted the importance of shared democratic principles and continued economic collaboration in the technology and creative sectors.

He said investment in young Nepali talent and the US-Nepal relationship would contribute to long-term shared prosperity. Beyond technology, he said, US commitments remain anchored in vital physical and health infrastructure, including the more than $500 million Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact to build high-voltage cross-border electricity transmission lines and upgrade strategic road corridors.

Urbom described Nepal’s recent elections as a remarkable generational shift and said the US Embassy in Kathmandu had engaged with more than 10,000 Nepali youths through different initiatives this year alone.

“In the last 79 years, we worked for shared prosperity and will work for trade, investment, technology, energy and other areas that will enable Nepal as a strong and prosperous nation,” Urbom said.

Former UN Ambassador Prof Dr Jayaraj Acharya highlighted how US-backed malaria eradication efforts reshaped the Terai’s economy, how bipartisan Congressional diplomacy supported Nepal’s democratic restoration in 1990, and why constitutional checks and balances and educational exchanges remain important anchors of democratic governance.

Reshu Aryal, a member of the National Planning Commission, reflected on the shared democratic values and people-to-people ties between Nepal and the United States, emphasising the role of younger generations in strengthening democratic institutions.

She highlighted the need to understand emerging Gen Z political realities, strengthen civic maturity and accountability, and move away from feudal modes of political thinking towards an empowered citizenry.