Welcome from the ambassador

Namaste! Welcome to the Norwegian Embassy in Nepal!

Nepal and Norway are long-standing partners. Our two countries established diplomatic relations in 1973, but we can trace Norwegian presence here back to the early 1950s. The embassy in Kathmandu opened in 2000 as our relations expanded, particularly through development cooperation.

The Norwegian government has made Nepal a partner country in development. Norway will continue our efforts to support the transformation of Nepal into an inclusive society based on democratic foundations. Our overall objectives are to assist Nepal in reaching sustainable development, reducing poverty, and promoting respect for human rights, transparent governance, and social equity.

In line with the priorities of the Government of Nepal, our bilateral cooperation is concentrated primarily on education, renewable energy and good governance. Norway has supported Nepal’s education sector since 1999. It is encouraging to see the achievements that Nepal has made in providing education for all. We plan to continue supporting quality education for all children in Nepal.

Nepal has a huge potential to produce energy from hydropower. The history of hydropower co-operation between Norway and Nepal goes back around 60 years. Over the past few years, the construction of transmission and distribution lines has been a priority.  Assistance to adapt to climate change is another important area for our cooperation.

Norway also supports Nepal’s efforts in rolling out federalism. It is important to strengthen capacity at the local and provincial levels to ensure a successful reform. We hope that the new local and provincial governments will grow into strong institutions that can deliver services to the citizens.

Many Norwegian actors are engaged in long-term partnerships with Nepali civil society and NGOs in a variety of sectors. This is a valuable part of our bilateral relations.

Before the pandemic, almost three thousand Norwegians visited Nepal every year, attracted by its unique mountains and culture. I hope tourism may soon resume, as it is vital to the overall economy of Nepal. 

I expect that relations between Nepal and Norway will continue to expand in the years to come. Norway’s ambition is to continue to be a consistent partner for Nepal.

I hope you find the website useful, and you are welcome to contact us on emb.kathmandu@mfa.no.

Sincerely,

Torun Dramdal

Ambassador