Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle, Nepal’s Governor to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), held talks with AIIB President Zou Jiayi in Doha, Qatar, on the sidelines of the bank’s 11th Board of Governors annual meeting. The two sides discussed expanding AIIB investment in Nepal and increasing support for reconstruction and development projects, with senior officials from both sides also participating in the meeting.

Zou expressed concern over damage caused by the recent devastating Bhotekoshi flood and conveyed the bank’s commitment to support Nepal’s reconstruction efforts. He also discussed making greater use of AIIB’s Project Preparation Special Fund for project-preparation grants and exploring more flexible concessional financing through the bank’s Special Fund Window. AIIB reiterated its intention to deepen cooperation with Nepal, one of the bank’s founding members.

Wagle thanked AIIB for its cooperation and urged faster progress on projects involving electricity distribution system improvement and expansion, as well as studies related to express road infrastructure. He also referred to flood damage affecting the Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project and sought AIIB support for resilient reconstruction and medium- to long-term investment in green energy, infrastructure and digital development.

The finance minister further called for AIIB resources to be mobilised alongside financing from other development partners to accelerate Nepal’s recovery and infrastructure development. He also invited AIIB President Zou to visit Nepal, signalling an effort to deepen the country’s engagement with the multilateral lender beyond the Doha meeting.