KATHMANDU, Dec 14: Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali will hold a meeting with the US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo early next week in the United States, sources said on Friday.
This will be first official meeting at the level of foreign ministers between the two countries after a hiatus of 17 years, where the two sides will be reviewing the entire gamut of bilateral ties.
Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Republica Online that the two foreign ministers are scheduled to meet on December 18 at the United States Department of States. However, the ministry has yet to make public announcement regarding the visit.
“The two sides will review the entire gamut of bilateral ties and share views on ways to expand the ongoing political, economic and development cooperation,” an official at the ministry said on Friday.
The two sides are also likely to dwell on regional and international issues.
Foreign minister meeting his US counterpart next week
The minister is also likely to hold meetings with other senior US administration officials during his stay, officials said.
Leading a five-member Nepali delegation comprising officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Home Affairs, Gyawali is flying to the United States on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Nepal and the United States will also hold the first ever meeting of the Bilateral Consultative Mechanism (BCM) on December 19.
Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi and a senior official of the US State Department will lead their respective delegations during the BCM meeting.
Concluding the official visit, the foreign minister will return home on December 22.
