Valley
UK Minister Rory Stewart in Nepal
The UK Minister of State at the Department for International Development (Dfid), Rory Stewart, is on a visit to Nepal to take stock of the impact of last year’s earthquakes, assess the progress made on reconstruction and reaffirm the UK’s support for Nepal’s development, according to the British Embassy.The UK Minister of State at the Department for International Development (Dfid), Rory Stewart, is on a visit to Nepal to take stock of the impact of last year’s earthquakes, assess the progress made on reconstruction and reaffirm the UK’s support for Nepal’s development, according to the British Embassy.
Minister Stewart, who arrived in Kathmandu on Wednesday night, met Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Krishna Bahadur Mahara on Thursday to discuss the next phase of UK support to Nepal, said a statement issued by the embassy. Similarly, the minister also met Nepal Reconstruction Authority CEO, senior government officials and Dfid programme partners to discuss how access to bank accounts could be increased to speed up the payment of housing grants to earthquake-affected households.
Stewart, the first UK ministers to visit Nepal since the formation of a new UK government last month, is scheduled to call on Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal during his stay in the country.
“I am delighted to return to Nepal in the year that our two countries are celebrating our strong 200 year relationship,” said Minister Stewart upon his arrival. “The UK stood by the Nepali people in their time of need following the tragic earthquakes last year, and we continue to support the country to build back
better and get on track towards a more prosperous and stable future.”