The sixth UK-Nepal Bilateral Consultative Mechanism, held in the centenary year of the historic 1923 UK-Nepal Treaty of Friendship, reflected our deep historic ties and cemented today's modern partnership.
The UK-Nepal Bilateral Consultative Mechanism is an important part of the UK's partnership with Nepal. It allows senior officials to exchange views, review cooperation and agree how our 2 countries can continue to deepen our historic partnership in the modern era. Held in London on 26 April 2023, the meeting was opened by Permanent Secretaries on both sides and co-chaired by Ben Mellor (FCDO Director, India and Indian Ocean Directorate).
Senior officials from the UK and Nepal participated in discussions. They reviewed existing areas of cooperation, and committed to work together to strengthen this cooperation around shared interests and values. This included global and regional issues; bilateral relations; UK support for Nepal's development; boosting bilateral trade and investment; joint action to tackle climate change; and our defence collaboration, including on Gurkhas.
FCDO Minister for the Indo-Pacific, The Rt Honourable Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP gave the keynote speech at an event at the British Library to celebrate the centenary of the UK-Nepal Treaty of Friendship. Minister Trevelyan reiterated the strength of the bilateral relationship, recalling her recent visit to Nepal.
The FCDO Permanent Under-Secretary, Sir Phillip Barton, also met with the Nepal Foreign Secretary Paudyal, and spoke about the strength and future of the UK/Nepal partnership.
