As Nepal and France have been celebrating the 70 years of establishment of diplomatic relations, business to business relations are also taking a new shape.

With the recent initiatives, in the area of aviation, security press and other business between the two countries, prospects are diversifying.

The French Embassy in Nepal in collaboration with Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) organized a Nepal–France Business Forum on April 9th with a view to increasing trade, commerce, and investment relations between Nepal and France.

Welcoming the delegation, Finance Minister Dr. Yubaraj Khatiwada urged the French business communities to come to invest in Nepal. In a meeting organized by Federation Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Khatiwada said that Nepal is conducive for foreign investment.

The visit of French business group has a very significant aspect. They arrived in Nepal just a week after the conclusion of Nepal Investment Forum.

Jean – Marc Fenet, Head of Regional Economic Service at the French Embassy in India, accompanied the representatives of the French companies to Kathmandu which comprised the following companies: AETS Consultants, Bureau Veritas, Gemalto, IDEMIA, IN GROUPE, LUMIPLAN ITS India Pvt. Ltd., POMA India, Mecamidi HPP India Private Limited, TRACTEBEL ENGINEERING PVT. LTD., THALES NSEA PTE. LTD., Thales India Pvt. Ltd., L'OPERA and PERNOD RICARD INDIA (P) LTD. The French companies came from a diverse background and most of them were from “Smart City”, “Agro” and “Aviation” sectors.

The main objective of this visit, which is a follow up to the recently held Investment Summit 2019, is to explore trade and investment opportunities in Nepal and is one of the major events in the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relation between Nepal and France.

At the program organized by the FNCCI, Minister for Finance, Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada, and the CEO of Nepal Investment Board, Maha Prasad Adhikari, talked about the current Nepali business/investment climate, opportunities, and legal reforms, amongst others.

A Business to Business (B-2-B) meeting was also organized by the FNCCI in which the French companies had a chance to meet and discuss business with the Nepali private sector.