Nepal Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle arrives in Delhi for talks on economic cooperation and reconstruction after devastating floods…reports Asian Lite News Desk
Nepal Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle arrived in New Delhi on Thursday for a high-level visit focused on economic cooperation with India and reconstruction efforts following the devastating floods that hit Nepal on August 26.
Wagle is scheduled to meet Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during his visit. Discussions are expected to cover post-disaster reconstruction as well as wider economic, political and diplomatic cooperation between the two countries.
The visit comes as Nepal continues to assess the impact of the August 26 disaster, which caused extensive damage across several areas, including critical infrastructure. Earlier estimates cited by Nepali officials put the death toll at 1,388 and property losses at around $4.75 billion in three districts.
Wagle’s visit is the first high-level trip from Nepal to India since the disaster and comes as Kathmandu seeks international support for recovery and reconstruction. India has also taken measures to support Nepal’s post-flood recovery, including approving additional electricity supplies after damage to hydropower infrastructure disrupted the country’s power generation.
During his stay, Wagle is also expected to meet Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. He will participate in a series of engagements involving Indian officials, diplomats, business leaders and development policymakers.
The Nepali Finance Minister is scheduled to participate in a high-level diplomatic dialogue hosted by former Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran. He will also attend an event involving Indian business leaders organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry and take part in an academic discussion on development economics at the Delhi School of Economics.
The visit comes amid continued rescue and recovery efforts in flood-hit areas of Nepal. Search teams have been working to locate people still missing following the disaster, with operations continuing at damaged hydropower facilities and other affected sites. Recent reports said thousands of people remained unaccounted for nearly three weeks after the floods.
Wagle’s arrival also coincides with the conclusion of Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava’s tenure. Srivastava held farewell meetings with Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal and Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai in Kathmandu on Wednesday.
In a post on X, Srivastava said he had conveyed his appreciation to Khanal for his support in strengthening India-Nepal ties and recalled progress in areas including energy, infrastructure connectivity and people-to-people links.
The Nepal Finance Minister’s visit is expected to provide an opportunity for the two sides to discuss immediate reconstruction requirements as well as longer-term economic cooperation, investment, trade and connectivity.
