Dhaka, Kathmandu Pledge Stronger Ties on Trade and Connectivity

Visiting Nepalese Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma met his Bangladeshi counterpart Dr Khalilur Rahman on Wednesday, and both reaffirmed their commitment to work closely across bilateral, regional, and multilateral platforms to advance the shared interests of their countries and peoples.

Minister Sharma congratulated Dr Khalilur Rahman on his appointment as Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister. The meeting was attended by Bangladesh’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, and Director General Israt Jahan.

Accompanying Minister Sharma were Ambassador Ghanshyam Bhandari, Joint Secretary Gahendra Rajbhandari, Deputy Chief of Mission Lalita Silwal, and Under Secretary Madhusudan Bhattarai.

The evening meeting in Dhaka reviewed the longstanding relationship between Nepal and Bangladesh, highlighting a foundation of good neighbourliness, shared aspirations, and deep cultural ties.

The two ministers discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations, with particular emphasis on economic partnership. They identified significant untapped potential in areas such as trade, energy, connectivity, and tourism, and explored measures to facilitate smoother cooperation, including visa facilitation and enhancing preferential trade agreements.

The meeting reaffirmed the commitment of both countries to work together to expand mutual benefits and deepen cooperation across key sectors.