US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his Nepalese counterpart Pradeep Gyawali spoke Thursday
Washington / Kathmandu:
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his Nepalese counterpart Pradeep Gyawali have reviewed their bilateral relations, including ongoing cooperation to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
State Department spokesman Morgan Ortagus said on Wednesday’s phone call, the two leaders discussed the US $ 7.3 million COVID-19 aid the United States provided to Nepal, relying on the USD 600 million in aid to health programming that Washington has provided to Kathmandu. over the past two decades.
Secretary Pompeo and Minister of Foreign Affairs Gyawali have pledged to stay in touch on matters of mutual interest, she said.
The phone conversation came at a time when heated discussions were taking place in the ruling Nepalese Communist Party (NCP) over whether the country should accept a $ 500 million grant from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) ) of the United States government.
A section of the ruling Nepalese Communist Party, which seems to increasingly support Chinese policies, has firmly opposed US aid, claiming that it is linked to the US government’s Indo-Pacific strategy to grab the China.
According to a statement from the Nepalese Foreign Ministry, “the two leaders shared their experiences in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and also expressed their condolences and condolences for the loss of life due to the pandemic.”
The two sides discussed the importance of the development partnership between the two countries, which complemented Nepal’s efforts for socio-economic development, he said.
In recent years, China has invested heavily in Nepal’s infrastructure, helping the landlocked Himalayan country lay new roads, including connecting it to Chinese cities for the transportation of oil and other essentials.
Nepal has repeatedly failed to approve the MCC agreement to accelerate the implementation of projects under the $ 500 million grant.
Although the two sides previously agreed to approve the MCC agreement through parliament before June 30, Nepal appears to be missing the deadline as the House of Representatives meeting was postponed to July 1 due to differences of opinion within the Nepalese Communist Party. .
The party is expected to make an official decision at the standing committee meeting.
Minister Gyawali appreciated the support the United States has given to the health sector in Nepal, among other things, through projects related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mike Pompeo assured Nepal of continued American cooperation.
The two sides also expressed confidence that cooperation will continue to develop in the post-COVID-19 context with an increased level of economic partnership.
According to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, the contagion has infected more than 9.4 million people and killed more than 482,000 worldwide.
COVID-19, originally from the city of Wuhan in China last year, also hit the global economy, with the International Monetary Fund saying the global economy is expected to experience a “severe recession”.
Scientists are racing against the clock to find a vaccine or medication for its treatment.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
