KATHMANDU, Aug 17: U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Richard R. Verma, departed for India following a one-day official visit to Nepal on Friday.
During his stay in Kathmandu, Deputy Secretary Verma met with Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba. These discussions focused on U.S. support for Nepal's aspirations to build a sustainable, inclusive future and on strengthening the U.S.-Nepal partnership, according to a statement from the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu.
Foreign Minister Rana confirmed that the meetings touched on various aspects of Nepal-U.S. relations, particularly in the realm of development cooperation.
US to provide helicopters and sky trucks to Nepali Army
The U.S. Embassy also revealed that the United States has expressed its readiness to assist the Nepalese Army in purchasing helicopters for disaster response. The Nepalese Army had previously requested U.S. support to acquire two helicopters during Chief of Army Staff Prabhuram Sharma's visit to the United States.
Deputy Secretary Verma conveyed that the U.S. has agreed to fund the purchase of these additional helicopters, which will bolster Nepal's disaster response capabilities.
Verma also met with officials from the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Nepal to discuss the progress of the MCC Nepal Compact. The contract for constructing the transmission line has already been awarded, and MCA Nepal is now accelerating efforts to upgrade a section of the East-West Highway as a part of the projects executed with the $500 million MCC grant.
In addition to his official meetings, Deputy Secretary Verma engaged with pioneering women entrepreneurs in Nepal, discussing the opportunities and challenges they face, and exploring how the U.S. government can further support their endeavors. He also enjoyed a visit to the Nepal Tea Collective, supported by USAID Nepal, where he sampled local teas in Thamel.
Deputy Secretary Verma arrived in Kathmandu on Friday, leading the U.S. delegation. In India, he is set to meet with senior government officials, climate leaders, aerospace academics, and industry representatives to further the U.S.-India partnership on various issues, including economic development, clean energy, climate action, and STEM education, as stated by the U.S. Department of State.
He will be joined in India by John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy, and David Turk, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy during his visit to India till August 22.
