On April 16, the Minister for Finance of Nepal, Barsaman Pun, engaged with a diverse audience during his visit to the United States.
Addressing the Business Roundtable hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC, Minister Pun highlighted Nepal’s upcoming third investment summit scheduled for April 28-29 in Kathmandu.
The event aimed to attract investment and foster partnerships, drawing the attention of major American companies with interests in Nepal, including Meta, MetLife Insurance, Coca-Cola, Tata Group, and Disney.
Ambassador Shirdhar Khatri and USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator Anjali Kaur also shared insights at the program, moderated by Ambassador Atul Keshap, Senior Vice President for South Asia at the US Chamber of Commerce.
During his visit, Minister Pun also met with World Bank Vice Presidents Akhiko Nishio and Guangzhe Chen at the World Bank Headquarters, discussing Nepal’s upcoming hosting of the IDA replenishment meeting and the country’s GRID development approach.
In a separate meeting with Vice President Chen, Minister Pun explored the potential financing from the World Bank for the Upper Arun Hydro Project. Additionally, discussions with the Vice President of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Ricardo Puliti, focused on increasing IFC’s investment in Nepal.
Minister Pun’s itinerary in the US includes engagements over three days, featuring meetings with representatives from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFP), and Atul Kasyap, President of the American Chamber of Commerce. Furthermore, he will engage with members of the private sector and non-resident Nepalis.
A significant highlight of Minister Pun’s agenda is his role as the keynote speaker at the ministerial meeting of Group V-20, advocating for climate risk mitigation and increased financial support amid global economic transitions.
This visit underscores Nepal’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with international financial institutions and fostering an environment conducive to investment, ultimately contributing to the country’s development goals.
