Nepal - Latest News/Current Events, Economic Overview & Trade Relations
Quick Facts about Nepal
| Official Name | Nepal local long and short form |
| Capital | Kathmandu |
| Location | Southern Asia, between China and India |
| Area | total: 147,181 sq km land: 143,181 sq km water: 4,000 sq km |
| Climate | varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south |
| Terrain | Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north |
Editor PicksBrowse Asia News Archive
Bilateral Trade Treaty Review Meet Aims to Regain Nepal's Lost Glory
Nepal and India have began negotiating a possible bilateral trade treaty aimed at expanding Nepal's influence in India's rapidly growing market.
Nepal and India have began negotiating a possible bilateral trade treaty aimed at expanding Nepal's influence in India's rapidly growing market. While both countries haven't reached a complete agreement, India has agreed to provide Nepal with technical aid for its food laboratories. The technology will hopefully improve Nepal's export quality and boost its exports to India. Moreover, both countries agreed to collaborate on issues such as unauthorized trade.read source article
Nepal Drowning in Garbage After Strikes
Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, is a stinky place as garbage trucks have stopped running over the last three weeks.
Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, is a stinky place as garbage trucks have stopped running over the last three weeks. Workers and supporters of the Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML) and the Nepali Congress (NP) have blocked garbage trucks on their way to local dumping sites, which has left Kathmandu inundated in trash. Sanitation, more specifically the dumping of garbage has become an issue brushed under the rug in Nepal over the last 5 decades. There has never been any real policy concerning dumping sites and locations and essentially the Kathmandu garbage authorities have taken trash to local dumps, dumped and continued until protests and blockades arose. Villagers, mostly affected by dumps near their villages, have not been compensated and have for years complained about the awful system. It seems this time this method, or lack thereof has gone too far and broken the straw of the proverbial camel, leading to blockades which have in turn left Kathmandu smelling awful and under mountains of trash.Nepal Exports Surge by 27.1 Percent
Exports increased by 27.1 percent in the first three months of the current fiscal year.
Exports increased by 27.1 percent in the first three months of the current fiscal year. The increase in exports to India constituted most of the upsurge as exports increased from .6 percent to 10.1 percent.read source article
Nepal's PM Prachanda on Second Trip to India
Prachanda, the Nepalese Prime Minister, will be traveling to India in order to negotiate better bilateral ties and seek cooperation on issues such as terrorism, drug trafficking and trans-border organized crime.
Prachanda, the Nepalese Prime Minister, will be traveling to India in order to negotiate better bilateral ties and seek cooperation on issues such as terrorism, drug trafficking and trans-border organized crime. Prachanda will also take part on the second BIMSTEC( Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Summit taking place in New Dheli on Nov. 13. Prachanda aims to establish better ties with BIMSTEC's members on issues such as energy, climate, and other bilateral interests.Food Shortages Could Topple New Nepal Government: WFP
Food shortages in Nepal could cause riots in the near future.
The World Food Program says Nepal's yet-to-formed government could be toppled by food riots unless urgent action is taken to address food shortages.read source article
Hundreds of Tibetan exiles arrested in Nepal
Up to 900 protesters were detained in the largest single-day arrest of Tibetan protesters in Nepal since the demonstrations began in March.
Up to 900 protesters were detained in the largest single-day arrest of Tibetan protesters in Nepal since the demonstrations began in March. "They have been arrested for damaging the diplomatic relations between Nepal and China," said civilian security officer Jaya Mukunda Khanal.Browse Asia News Archive
Trade Agreements
Indo – Nepal Treaty of Trade
The government of India will allow Nepal customs duty free access to the Indian market. The treaty has had a positive impact on Nepal in both trade and economic development. The treaty gets renewed every five years unless a party wishes to end the treaty. http://commerce.nic.in/nepal.doc
South Asian Free Trade Area
Introduced at the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit, the South Asian Free Trade Area created a free trading zone that reaches 1.4 billion people. The SAFTA contains zero customs duty on practically all products. http://www.saarc-sec.org/data/summit12/saftaagreement.pdf
Trade Organizations
Bay of Bengal Iniative for MultiSectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for MultiSectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an international organisation involving a group of countries in South Asia and South East Asia. The member nations of this group are: Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal.
Centre on Intergrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP)
The Centre for Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) is a regional intergovernmental and autonomus organization
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is an economic and political organization of eight countries in Southern Asia. It was established on December 8, 1985 by India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan. In April 2007, at the Association's 14th summit, Afghanistan became its eighth member.