Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle left for Doha, Qatar, on Saturday to participate in the 11th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) on September 28 and 29.

Nepal is a founding member of the Beijing-based AIIB and has been seeking financing from the multilateral development bank for various infrastructure projects.

The annual meeting will bring together senior representatives from member countries and stakeholders from around the world, according to the AIIB. Government delegations, policymakers, business leaders, clients, partners and others involved in infrastructure and investment will participate.

According to Amrit Lamsal, spokesperson for the Finance Ministry, Nepal will assume the vice-chair of the AIIB from this meeting.

On the sidelines of the annual governors’ meeting, Wagle will meet his counterparts from India, China, Bangladesh and the Maldives, among others, as well as the chairman of the AIIB, according to Lamsal.

Wagle is expected to use the meeting and his engagements on the sidelines to highlight Nepal’s vulnerability to climate-induced disasters and seek international support for post-disaster reconstruction following the August 26 Bhotekoshi-Trishuli floods.

Wagle travelled to New Delhi in the third week of this month, where he held discussions with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on a range of issues, including potential Indian support for Nepal’s reconstruction efforts.

The government has estimated that the disaster caused massive physical damage and economic losses, with the cost of rebuilding infrastructure and other affected properties expected to reach around $5 billion over the next three to five years.

In Doha, Wagle will discuss post-disaster reconstruction with his counterparts and the AIIB chairman. Nepal has also proposed several projects to the AIIB and sought financial support for them, including the construction of transmission lines and the upgrading of the Siddhartha Highway.

Wagle has said Nepal wants to mobilise international support through bilateral negotiations with major development partners as well as multilateral financial institutions, including the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and AIIB.

The AIIB’s 2026 annual meeting, themed “Tomorrow’s Infrastructure: Impact and Innovation”, will bring together member governments, policymakers, businesses and other stakeholders to discuss the bank’s strategic direction and investment priorities.

During the meeting, Wagle is also expected to underline Nepal’s case for greater climate finance, arguing that countries such as Nepal, despite their low contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, are bearing a disproportionate share of the consequences of climate change.

Participants are expected to discuss the bank’s strategic direction, operational priorities and plans for the coming years. Key areas of focus will include investment impact, innovation, and the development of more sustainable and resilient infrastructure.

The Doha visit is part of a series of international engagements planned by Wagle to mobilise resources for reconstruction and advance Nepal’s climate diplomacy. He is also scheduled to participate in the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group in Bangkok in October.