Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Minister for Foreign Affairs NP Saud met US Secretary of State Anthony J. Blinken in Washington on Monday.
During the meeting, the two ministers emphasized the strength of the US-Nepal partnership.
According to Matthew Miller, the Spokesperson for the US Department of State, Blinken and Saud highlighted the recently launched $500 million Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact that will build infrastructure, increase access to electricity, and support cross-border power trade.
“The Secretary and Foreign Minister also praised over 60 years of partnership on Peace Corps Volunteers’ service in Nepal. In addition, they discussed expanded Development Finance Corporation investment in Nepal, including a new $125 million loan to a Nepali bank to provide loans to small- and medium-sized enterprises,” he added.
On the occasion, Blinken expressed the United States’ condolences for the loss of Nepali students’ lives in the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel and concern for Bipin Joshi, who remains missing.
I met with Nepali Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud to highlight U.S. investment in Nepal, including a $500M compact from @MCCgov to support economic growth. The U.S. sends our condolences to families of Nepali students who were victims of Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel. pic.twitter.com/1jGQwPniqK
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) October 30, 2023
Nepali ambassador to the US Shreedhar Khatri and other senior officials of the foreign ministry and the embassy accompanied Minister Saud in the meeting.
Minister Saud left for the US on Sunday after meeting US Secretary General Antonio Guterres. This is the first visit at the foreign-minister level between the two countries in five years. Former foreign minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali traveled to the US capital in December 2018 to meet his counterpart Mike Pompeo.
