KATHMANDU: The first meeting of the Nepal–Portugal Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) was held in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, on Friday.
The meeting, held at the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, agreed to enhance cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, tourism, culture, education, and science and technology.
Both sides reviewed the overall state of Nepal–Portugal relations, including political, economic, and consular matters. Discussions were also held on climate change and other regional and multilateral issues of shared interest.
The Nepali delegation was led by Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai, while the Portuguese side was headed by Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Dr. Ana Isabel Xavier.
The Nepali delegation included Nepal’s Ambassador to Portugal Prakash Mani Paudel, Joint Secretary and Head of the Europe Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ganesh Prasad Dhakal, Under Secretary Uttam Ghimire, and other senior officials from the Embassy.
According to Ambassador Paudel, the meeting conducted an in-depth review of bilateral relations and held detailed discussions on areas of mutual interest, expanded cooperation, and future collaboration.
He said the Nepali side made a special request to facilitate solutions to document authentication issues faced by the Nepali community in Portugal.
On the occasion, Foreign Secretary Rai expressed gratitude to the Portuguese government for its goodwill toward the Nepali community residing in Portugal. Dr. Xavier appreciated the contribution of the Nepali community to the Portuguese economy and hosted a luncheon in honor of the visiting delegation.
During the visit, Foreign Secretary Rai also interacted with officials at the Portuguese Trade and Investment Agency regarding renewable energy cooperation. He encouraged Portuguese investors to explore investment opportunities in Nepal’s hydropower generation, transmission, and distribution sectors in coordination with the Investment Board Nepal.
Earlier, Foreign Secretary Rai paid a courtesy call on Secretary-General of the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Francisco Maria de Sousa Ribeiro Telles. Discussions were held on further strengthening bilateral diplomatic relations, according to the Embassy.
The delegation led by Foreign Secretary Rai is scheduled to return home today upon completion of the visit.
The Nepal–Portugal Bilateral Consultation Mechanism was established in 2018.
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