Japanese aid mission in Nepal

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Feb. 4: An Aid Policy Consultation Mission from Japan is currently in Nepal to review, explore and identify ways to direct Japanese assistance to Nepal.

The Mission is scheduled to hold joint meeting with the government on Tuesday and Wednesday to have wide-ranging dialogue on the economic and social development of Nepal and the Japanese Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) policy to Nepal, says a press release issued by the Embassy of Japan.

Headed by Motokatsu Watanabe, Senior Assistant for Economic Co-operation under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan, the Mission had arrived on Friday.

During its stay, the Japanese mission will meet Minister of Finance Mahesh Acharya, Vice-Chairman of National Planning Commission Prithvi Raj Ligal and other officials of relevant ministries.

Japan has been the largest bilateral ODA donor country to Nepal since 1980. During the period between 1969 and 1998, Japan had extended 228 billion Japanese Yen (around 2 billion US dollars) aid in various forms of economic and technical assistance for Nepal’s economic and social development.

The last joint meeting, which was held in 1997, had identified five priority areas, which included human resources development, social sector such as health, medical care and education, agricultural development, building economic and social infrastructure and environmental conservation, for Japanese ODA to Nepal

Following the Nepal Development Forum held in Paris in April last year and the historic visit of the Japanese Prime Minister in August last year, the upcoming meeting is expected to review the achievements made by His Majesty’s Government, identify emerging needs of the country, and explore the ways to direct the Japanese assistance to the identified priority areas.

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