Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Nepal and Germany on Friday marked 50 years of technical cooperation in Lalitpur.
Organized under the theme, “Woven Through Time, Shaping Tomorrow Together”, the event highlighted the milestones of a partnership that began with Bhaktapur’s heritage preservation in the early 1970s, expanded through GIZ’s work in infrastructure and urban development, industrial and entrepreneurial development, agriculture and forest management, peace building and conflict transformation, and post-earthquake reconstruction, and has now grown into one of Nepal’s longest-standing international collaborations in energy, health and sustainable economic development.
German development cooperation now operates through several institutions: GIZ, which marked its 50 years in Nepal; KfW Development Bank, which provides financial cooperation; and PTB, which supports quality assurance across sectors.
Addressing the ceremony, Minister of Finance Rameshore Prasad Khanal praised the five-decade-long partnership as a story of trust, cooperation, and shared aspirations. He said the milestone reflected what long-term cooperation, mutual respect, and a shared vision can achieve. “GIZ has been more than a development agency; it has been a committed partner in Nepal’s pursuit of sustainable growth, social inclusion, and the well-being of our people,” Khanal said, calling for deeper collaboration in renewable energy, public health, decentralization, sustainable infrastructure, inclusive economic growth, and revenue reforms.
Also speaking on the occasion, German Ambassador to Nepal, Udo Volz, said the partnership with the restoration of Bhaktapur showed Germany’s commitment to Nepal’s heritage. “What started with restoring temples now provides digital solutions. What began with preserving the past now includes preparing for the future,” he said.
Similarly, GIZ Nepal Country Representative Paulina Campos Monteros emphasized GIZ’s role as a facilitator and long-term partner working closely with government agencies, civil society, the private sector, and communities. “We see ourselves as facilitators and long-term partners, bringing technical expertise and practical solutions developed hand-in-hand with government, civil society, the private sector, and communities,” she added.
The event also included a panel discussion reflecting on five decades of Nepal-Germany cooperation and outlining the vision for future cooperation.
