KATHMANDU: Finance Minister Dr Swarnim Wagle, who is currently in Doha, Qatar, to attend the 11th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), met with AIIB President Zou Jiayi on Sunday.
During the meeting, held in the Qatari capital, Minister Wagle urged the AIIB leadership to increase its investment in Nepal, support post-disaster reconstruction and expand Nepal’s access to concessional financing.
AIIB President Jiayi expressed deep sympathy over the loss of lives and property caused by the recent devastating floods in the Bhotekoshi-Trishuli river system and pledged the bank’s possible support for Nepal’s post-flood reconstruction efforts.
She said Nepal would receive grant assistance under the AIIB’s Project Preparation Special Fund to support project preparation. She also said the bank would consider providing highly concessional loans to Nepal by mobilising grants through the Special Fund Window for Less Developed Members.
According to the Finance Minister’s Secretariat, Jiayi reaffirmed the AIIB’s commitment to further cooperation with Nepal, a founding member of the bank, to support its economic development.
Minister Wagle congratulated Jiayi on her election to the presidency and expressed gratitude for the AIIB’s continued support to Nepal.
He also called for the swift completion of AIIB-funded projects in Nepal, particularly the Electricity Distribution System Improvement and Expansion Project and the expressway study.
Wagle expressed concern over the damage caused by the recent Bhotekoshi-Trishuli floods to the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project, in which the AIIB has invested.
The Finance Minister further requested the AIIB to mobilise its own resources as well as funding from other development partners to support Nepal’s medium- and long-term development priorities, including green energy, cross-border electricity transmission lines, road infrastructure and digital infrastructure.
During the meeting, Minister Wagle also invited AIIB President Jiayi to visit Nepal in 2026.
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