Nepal-United States relations

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Nepal-United States relations
Flag of Nepal   Flag of the United States
     Nepal      United States

Nepal-United States relations are bilateral relations between Nepal and the United States.

The United States established official relations with Nepal in 1947 and opened its Kathmandu Embassy in 1959. Relations between the two countries have always been friendly. U.S. policy objectives toward Nepal center on helping Nepal build a peaceful, prosperous, and democratic society.

Since 1951, the United States has provided more than $791 million in bilateral economic assistance to Nepal. In recent years, annual bilateral U.S. economic assistance through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has averaged $40 million. USAID supports agriculture, health, family planning, environmental protection, democratization, governance, and hydropower development efforts in Nepal. USAID is also supporting Nepal's peace process, as well as its preparation for Constituent Assembly elections. The United States also contributes to international institutions and private voluntary organizations working in Nepal. To date, U.S. contributions to multilateral organizations working in Nepal approach an additional $725 million, including humanitarian assistance. The Peace Corps temporarily suspended its operations in Nepal in 2004 due to increasing security concerns, and officially terminated its Nepal program in 2006.

Principal U.S. Officials include:

  • Ambassador--Nancy J. Powell
  • Deputy Chief of Mission--Randy Berry
  • Counselor for Management Affairs--Keith Sanders
  • USAID Director--Beth Paige
  • Political and Economic Chief--Williams S. Martin
  • Consular Chief--Mary Emma (Mea) Arnold
  • Public Affairs Officer--Mark Larsen
  • Regional Security Officer--Karen A. Lass
  • Regional Environment Officer--John Q. Adams
  • Political/Military Chief--Stephen W. Riley
  • Defense Attaché--LTC Bryan Chapman
  • Office of Defense Cooperation--MAJ Patrick Kelley

[edit] References

This article contains material from the US Department of State's Background Notes which, as a US government publication, is in the public domain.[1]