Nepal has decided to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to an international donor conference which will be held in Kathmandu on June 25, 2015 to raise funds for reconstruction of the country devastated by quakes.
Nepal is hosting an international conference of donors to gather support and assistance for rehabilitation and reconstruction works in the aftermath of the earthquakes that killed nearly 9,000 people.
Nepal Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat flew to India on Wednesday for a three-day official visit during which he will meet Mr. Modi and deliver Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala’s invitation to attend International Donor’s Conference to be held on June 25.
Mr. Mahat, whose India visit comes at the invitation of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, will hold bilateral discussions regarding utilisation and implementation of the financial support announced by Mr. Modi during his visit to Nepal in 2014.
During Mr. Mahat’s visit, discussions would also be held on various issues, including opening of bank accounts of Nepalese residing in India, Indian investment in Nepal and bilateral trade extension.
Mr. Mahat is scheduled to meet Mr. Modi on Thursday and hand over the invitation letter for the conference. Various other Indian Ministers will also be invited for the conference.
Mr. Mahat is also the coordinator of the donor conference.
Mr. Mahat is accompanied by Maha Prasad Adhikari, deputy governor of the Nepal Rastra Bank and Yugraj Pandey, under-secretary at Nepal’s Ministry of Finance.
The Nepal government has already set up a $2-billion fund for the reconstruction and rebuilding works. Preliminary estimates suggest that Nepal would need around $10 billion for post-quake reconstruction and rehabilitation works.
More than 65 representatives from various friendly countries, donor agencies, development partners and multilateral donors will be invited for the conference, according to finance ministry sources.
Two quakes and several after shocks left a trail of death and destruction in Nepal with nearly 9,000 people killed and scores injured in the country’s worst natural disaster.
