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Kathmandu, November 29: The 16th meeting of the Joint Commission between Nepal and the European Union concluded in Brussels, Belgium, on Friday, November 28. According to the Embassy of Nepal in Brussels, the meeting held extensive discussions on development cooperation, trade, climate change, regional connectivity, and multilateral cooperation, among other topics.

At the meeting, both sides noted that relations between Nepal and the European Union have been progressing positively and highlighted various dimensions of relations ranging from development partnerships to people-to-people connections. On behalf of the EU, appreciation was expressed for the work being carried out by the interim government led by Prime Minister Sushila Karki, which has been focusing on fiscal discipline, good governance, accountability, and the expansion of public services.

Nepal presented its progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and stated that cooperation between Nepal and the EU is important in the areas of climate change, disaster risk reduction, and investment promotion. Nepal also reiterated its commitment to concluding the transitional justice process swiftly in accordance with the law.

The European Union welcomed the transitional strategy prepared for Nepal’s graduation from Least Developed Country status and expressed its commitment to continued cooperation through the already implemented multi-year programs. The statement also mentioned that both sides reviewed progress on various development projects in different sectors.

Noting that Nepal has placed high priority on improving aviation safety, it reiterated its commitment to addressing the issues raised during the EU’s assessment visit in September 2023. Nepal once again requested the removal of Nepali airlines from the European Union Air Safety List.

The 17th meeting of the Commission will be held next year in Kathmandu on a mutually agreed date. The meeting was co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai on behalf of Nepal and Acting Managing Director for the Asia-Pacific Department Paola Pampaloni on behalf of the European Union.

People’s News Monitoring Service.