Khanal holds bilateral talks with Australian foreign minister Wong

KATHMANDU: Minister for Foreign Affairs Shisir Khanal held bilateral talks with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong in Melbourne on Thursday.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two leaders held discussions on ways to strengthen Nepal-Australia relations and cooperation in key areas.

“During the bilateral talks, the two ministers reviewed the overall state of bilateral relations and exchanged views on the entire gamut of matters of mutual interest. They expressed satisfaction over the close, longstanding and cordial ties between the two nations which are underpinned by shared democratic values, mutual respect and vibrant people-to-people connections,” the ministry added in the statement.

Minister Wong Wong expressed condolences to the families and communities affected by the recent devastating floods in Nepal and reaffirmed Australia’s support for Nepal’s recovery and reconstruction efforts.

During the meeting, Wong announced additional assistance of 15 million Australian dollars for relief and early recovery efforts.

Australia had earlier committed 11 million Australian dollars for emergency response operations.

Minister Khanal thanked the government and people of Australia for the humanitarian assistance, saying that the support reflected the longstanding goodwill between the two countries.

The two ministers also discussed climate change and Nepal’s vulnerability to its impacts.

Khanal urged Australia to use its international leadership, including its upcoming COP31 co-presidency, to highlight the disproportionate impacts of climate change on the fragile Himalayan ecosystem.

He called for greater bilateral cooperation in climate adaptation, early warning systems, disaster preparedness and climate-resilient infrastructure.

Education was another key area of discussion, with the two sides exploring the possibility of establishing Australian-accredited technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutes in Nepal.

Wong reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with Nepal, according to the ministry.

The two sides also agreed to maintain regular high-level exchanges and work toward translating the understandings reached into tangible outcomes.