The 8th Secretary-level Joint Steering Committee (JSC) meeting between Nepal and Bangladesh is set to begin on Wednesday, November 26, in Dhaka, with the primary agenda focused on scaling up bilateral power trade and boosting investment in Nepal’s energy sector.

A high-level 12-member Nepali delegation, led by Energy Secretary Chiranjeevi Chataut, departed for Bangladesh on Tuesday to participate in the two-day deliberations.

The meeting is anticipated to shape the future of energy relations between the two South Asian nations, with key discussion points including:

Expansion of Cross-Border Power Trade: Formalizing further agreements for the sale and purchase of electricity between the two countries.

Joint Investment: Exploring mechanisms for Bangladeshi investment in Nepal’s hydropower generation projects.

Foreign Investment Strategy: Addressing policy issues to attract external capital into Nepal’s rapidly developing energy sector.

Preparatory Talks Underway

In preparation for the Secretary-level meeting, a Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting, comprising Joint Secretaries and Director Generals from both nations, is scheduled to convene earlier today.

The Nepali delegation includes senior officials from multiple government bodies, underlining the meeting’s significance. Among the members are Joint Secretaries from the Ministries of Energy, Law, and Foreign Affairs, along with the Executive Director, Head of Power Trade, and spokesperson from the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), Manoj Silwal.

The upcoming meeting builds on momentum from the 7th JSC meeting, which was held last year in Nepal. That meeting successfully concluded with the signing of a Power Sales Agreement (PSA), under which Bangladesh has already commenced the import of 40 megawatts (MW) of electricity from Nepal during the wet season, signaling a crucial first step in fulfilling Nepal’s goal of becoming a regional power exporter.