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Administrator Samantha Power will travel to Kathmandu, Nepal in early February. While there, Administrator Power will meet with civil society leaders, community groups, students, businesses, and government officials to discuss Nepal’s efforts and achievements in becoming a more democratic, prosperous, inclusive, and resilient country. Administrator Power will underscore the United States’ enduring, more than 75-year partnership with the government and people of Nepal. She will highlight USAID’s commitment to increasing our engagement with Nepal and its new government. Administrator Power will announce new efforts to build momentum to strengthen democratic gains in federalism, social inclusion, civil society, and media freedom.

The CPN (Unified Socialist) has drawn the attention of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal towards the economic crisis the country has been facing. A delegation led by Party Chair Madhav Kumar Nepal submitted a 20-point memorandum to Prime Minister Dahal, saying the government should be sensitive towards people's livelihood as the country has been facing economic crisis. The delegation urged the government to take step immediately to resolve crisis as farmers, general people and workers have started committing suicide due to price hike. The memorandum also demanded effective measures to improve the country's economy and stop brain drain of youths and intellectual human resources. Likewise, the government has been suggested to make arrangements of a skill-oriented subject in school level curriculum and to strictly implement the economic policy, control price hike, and give recognition to communication as industry. Saying the government was serious towards the demands put forth by the party, Prime Minister Dahal opined that he would hold discussions with all bodies concerned to resolve the problems. He also expressed commitment to ease people's livelihood by making necessary changes in policy-level to control price hike. Top leaders of CPN (Unified Socialist) including former Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal were present on the occasion.  

Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Damodar Bhandari and Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song held a meeting on Tuesday. During the meeting, Minister Bhandari drew the attention of Ambassador Song on the issues of opening north-west borders, including Taklakot and Tinker. They also discussed further strengthening Nepal-China trade relations, said Minister Bhandari's secretariat. Export of Nepali products to China and facilitation of the imports at the borders also featured in discussion. He urged the Chinese Ambassador to bring in Chinese investment to run industries in Nepal. On the occasion, the Ambassador said that the Chinese government was positive to open the north-west borders and under-construction five dry ports, said Minister Bhandari. The Chinese Ambassador said that he would play a role to further strengthen trade relations between Nepal and China.

Rastriya Swatantra Party Chairman Rabi Lamichhane held a meeting with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal at the latter’s official residence in Baluwatar on Tuesday. The Prime Minister’s Secretariat said that the duo discussed by-election, Home Ministry and other contemporary political issues. Lamichhane had reached Baluwatar to meet Prime Minister Dahal on Monday evening also. Earlier on January 29, journalist-turned-politician Lamichhane reacquired Nepali citizenship after the Supreme Court scrapped his status as a lawmaker saying he did not have valid Nepali citizenship. After reacquiring the Nepali citizenship, the party’s Central Committee meeting appointed Lamichhane as the party Chairman. Though the Rastriya Swatantra Party has been claiming the post of Home Ministry again, Prime Minister Dahal is not in a mood to give the post to the party.