Nepal Renews Call to Exit EU Air Safety List

Nepal has once again requested the European Union to remove its airlines from the EU Air Safety List, emphasizing that aviation safety reform remains a high priority.

Nepal reaffirmed its commitment to addressing issues identified during the EU’s assessment visit in September 2023 at the 16th meeting of the EU–Nepal Joint Commission in Brussels, Belgium on Friday..

The Nepali Embassy in Brussels stated that the meeting discussed key areas including development cooperation, trade, climate change, regional connectivity, networking and multilateral collaboration.

Both sides highlighted that Nepal–EU relations have progressed positively, noting strong development partnerships and people-to-people ties.

The EU also praised the interim government led by Prime Minister Sushila Karki for its focus on fiscal discipline, good governance, accountability, and service expansion.

Nepal shared its progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and stressed that collaboration with the EU is vital to address climate change impacts, advance disaster risk reduction and encourage investment.

The Nepali delegation reiterated its commitment to completing the transitional justice process in line with legal standards and without delay.

The EU welcomed Nepal’s strategy for graduating from Least Developed Country (LDC) status and pledged to continue its support through its multi-year assistance programme.

The meeting also reviewed progress in development projects across various sectors. The 17th Joint Commission meeting is scheduled to be held in Kathmandu next year on a mutually agreed date.

The session was co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai and the EU’s Acting Managing Director for the Department of Asia-Pacific, Paola Pampaloni.