Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Poudel and US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu held a meeting today to review key areas of economic cooperation between Nepal and the United States.

The discussions, which took place at the Ministry of Finance, centered on the successful implementation of projects under the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The two sides also explored opportunities for development finance and attracting private sector investment.

Dhaniram Sharma, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, mentioned that the talks covered various aspects of Nepal-US collaboration, particularly the ongoing MCC, USAID, and other US-funded initiatives.

“The US Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is actively investing in Nepal's private sector. The meeting explored ways to enhance the effectiveness of these investments, expand their scope, and attract more capital to Nepal. We reaffirmed our commitment to supporting efforts to foster private sector investment,” Sharma said.

Finance Minister Poudel also urged Assistant Secretary Lu to consider expanding US assistance to Nepal, highlighting the country’s political stability as a positive factor for increased cooperation.

In response, Assistant Secretary Lu expressed his satisfaction with Nepal's continued economic growth and stability, particularly in the face of challenges faced by other countries in the South Asian region.

He also indicated that the US is keen to provide additional financial assistance to Nepal in the future.