Cairo: Nepal and Egypt have held the second meeting of the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) in Cairo, discussing ways to expand cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, agriculture, education and other sectors.
The meeting was held at Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptian Expatriates and co-chaired by Ram Kaji Khadka, Joint Secretary and Head of the Central Asia, West Asia and Africa Division at Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ambassador Amr Hamza, Egypt’s Assistant Foreign Minister for Asian Affairs.
During the meeting, both sides reviewed bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction over the longstanding friendly ties between the two countries.
The discussions covered political, economic, commercial, cultural and technical cooperation, with both countries stressing the importance of strengthening collaboration in trade, investment, hospitality, labour, tourism, agriculture, education, and visa and consular affairs.
The Nepali side highlighted Nepal’s investment-friendly environment and invited Egyptian companies to explore opportunities, particularly in agriculture and fertilizers. Nepal also sought greater market access for products such as tea, coffee and pashmina.
Egypt highlighted opportunities for increased economic engagement, tourism cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.
Nepal also briefed Egypt on recent political developments following the March 5, 2026 election, which led to the formation of a stable government with a near two-thirds majority. The Nepali side said the government is focused on good governance, transparency and a zero-tolerance policy against corruption.
The Egyptian side congratulated Nepal on the successful conduct of the election and the formation of the new government.
The two countries also exchanged views on regional and global developments and reaffirmed their commitment to cooperation in multilateral forums including the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the World Trade Organization and the World Health Organization.
Nepal appreciated Egypt’s role in promoting peace and stability in the Middle East, including mediation efforts in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
At the end of the meeting, Nepal’s Institute of Foreign Affairs and Egypt’s Institute for Diplomatic Studies signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote cooperation in diplomatic training, research and academic exchanges.
The next meeting of the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism will be held in Kathmandu at a mutually convenient time.
