Kathmandu, May 16: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Damodar Bhandari and Deputy Director General of the European Commission, Myriam Ferran have discussed various bilateral issues.

During a meeting at the Hotel Soaltee in Kathmandu, Minister Bhandari highly appreciated the continuous support and assistance provided by the European Union for the economic and social development of Nepal.

According to a press statement issued by the Minister’s secretariat, Minister Bhandari said, “There has been a close relationship between Nepal and the European Union since 1974. The government of Nepal has been giving high priority to support and cooperation from the European Union.”

Minister Bhandari said that Nepal and the European Union had common views on the issues of democracy, freedom and multilateralism. 

He said that there was a growing need for multi-sectoral assistance to achieve the common goals of sustainable development and to address various crises such as global epidemics and climate change.

“Since we are trying to revive the economy after COVID-19 pandemic and upgrade to the level of developing nation, there is a need for more investment in various development works,” he said.

“Nepal is aiming to upgrade to a developing country by 2026. To sustain this historic transformation, the government of Nepal needs technical and financial support from various development partners as well as the European Union,” Minister Bhandari said. He said that Nepal and the European Union had been cooperating based on goodwill and mutual respect.

He said, “During this long-term partnership, the European Union has developed as a major destination for the export of Nepali goods and services. We would like to request that our exportable goods be ensured easy market access.”

“The European Union’s significant contribution to trade capacity enhancement and value chain development has played an important role in promoting Nepal’s economic progress,” said Minister Bhandari.

He said that the relationship between Nepal and the European Union will be further strengthened in the coming days and said that the cooperation would be further deepened.

In the meeting, Deputy Director General of the European Commission, Myriam Ferran expressed her commitment to help expand the market of Nepali goods in European countries. 

She asked Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Bhandari to create an environment for export of Nepali goods to European countries. 

She said, “We want the trade of Nepali goods to expand in Europe, for that there will be no shortfall of initiatives from our side.”