Nepal – Norway Relations


Diplomatic Relations:
Nepal and Norway established diplomatic relations on January 26, 1973. Ever since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Nepal and Norway have been enjoying good, friendly and cordial relations. Norway opened a residential embassy in Kathmandu in January 12, 2000. Nepal does not have a residential embassy in Norway. The Nepali Ambassador in Copenhagen is concurrently accredited to Norway. Similarly, the Nepali Honorary Consul General based in Oslo looks after the Nepali interest in Norway.

An MOU on the establishment of a bilateral consultation mechanism between the Foreign Ministries of Nepal and Norway was signed on 4 November 2019.

 

High Level Visits/Meetings:
From Nepali side:

  • Prime Minister Rt. Hon. K P Sharma Oli held a bilateral meeting with Her Excellency Ms. Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway in Geneva on 10 June 2019.
  • Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Foreign Minister, met H.E. Mr. Nikolai Astrup, Minister of International Development of Norway, on 27 September 2018 on the sidelines of the 73rd UNGA in New York.
  • Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Upendra Yadav visited Norway in April 2009 to participate in the international conference Melting Ice – Regional Dramas, in April 2009.
  • Prime Minister Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ paid an official visit to Norway on March 29-31, 2009 at the invitation of Prime Minister H.E. Jens Stoltenberg.
  • Foreign Affairs Mr. Chakra Prasad Bastola paid an official visit to Norway in September 2000.
  • A Nepali parliamentary delegation led by the then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Daman Nath Dhungana, paid an official visit to Norway in November 1993. A delegation of Nepal’s women parliamentarians visited Norway in 1997.

 

From Norwegian side:

  • Minister of International Development of Norway Dag-Inge Ulstein visited Nepal in connection with the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Conference held in Kathmandu. On 4 November 2019, he had a meeting with Foreign Minister Gyawali.
  • A Norgewian delegation led by Ms. Marie Osnes, Senior Advisor for Norwegian Agency for Development, visited Nepal from 9-16 April 2018.
  • The Norwegian Minister of International Development, Mr. Nikolai Astrup, visited Nepal from 6-7 of March, 2018 as part of the regular political consultations.
  • Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Borge Brende visited Nepal from 24 to 26 June 2015 to participate in the Nepal Reconstruction Conference.
  • State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Morten Hoglund visited Nepal from 14-15 April 2015 to hold political consultations and development cooperation.
  • Minister for International Development Mr. Heikki Holmas visited Nepal in June 2012.
  • Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg paid a one-day visit to Nepal on 8 February 2008 and held a meeting with the then Prime Minister of Nepal.
  • Development Minister Mr. Erik Solheim visited Nepal in March 2007 and in January 2012 in his capacity as environment minister.
  • Foreign Minister Mr. Knut Vollebaek paid an official visit to Nepal in 2000. He inaugurated the residential Norwegian Embassy in Kathmandu.

 

Development Cooperation:
Government-to-government development cooperation commenced with the signing of an MOU in 1996. Norway and Nepal signed a new MOU in September 2013 for bilateral cooperation covering the period from 2013-2017. The MoU determines that Norway will concentrate its assistance to the sectors of democracy and inclusive governance, education and energy, both on and off grid. Cross-cutting issues such as environment, gender equality and anti-corruption are of high priority.

An agreement on the avoidance of double taxation (DTAA) with Norway has been concluded.

The Norwegian Government provided NOK 30 million in emergency relief after the 2015 earthquakes. The post-earthquake pledge from Norway was US $ 15,965,500, of which US $ 10,541,239 has been disbursed until FY 2018/19.

According to the Development Cooperation Report, the aid from Norway US $ 23,584,627 for the FY 2018/19, of which US $ 1,714,741 comes in the form of Technical Assistance and US $ 21,869,886 as grants. 2.6% of Norwegian support is on-budget support. A 68.9 percent of the total ODA is gender mainstreamed.

Norway annually offers NORAD fellowships to Government of Nepal in different fields of study aiming at human resources development of Nepal.

 

Trade/ Investment:
The following table shows the status of Nepal’s trade with Norway during the last few years:

Value in USD

Year Export Import Trade Balance
2015 2,286,980 1,275,205 1,011,775
2016 1,622,480 1,076,360 546,120
2017 1,841,792 1,342,772 499,020
2018 1,620,832 1,946,834 -326,002
2019 447,390 523,302 -75,912

 

On Investment, the Department of Industry data revealed that there are a total of 16 projects approved with the total Norwegian investment of Rs. 1165.33 million until 15 July 2020, creating 845 jobs.

 

Tourism:
Tourist arrival in Nepal from Norway during the last few years is as follows:

Year 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Number of Tourists 2,557 2,899 3,139 3,654 3,385

 

Europe and the Americas Division
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kathmandu
August 2020