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Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle has urged the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to expand its investment in Nepal, support post-disaster reconstruction and increase access to concessional financing.

Finance Minister Dr. Wagle made the remarks during a meeting with AIIB President Zou Jiayi in Doha on Sunday, according to a press statement issued by the Finance Minister’s Secretariat on Monday.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 11th Annual Meeting of the AIIB Board of Governors, which Minister Wagle is attending in the Qatari capital. During the meeting, President Zou expressed deep sympathy over the loss of lives and physical infrastructure caused by the devastating floods in the Bhotekoshi River recently.

She also pledged possible support from the bank for resilient reconstruction and recovery following the disaster. President Zou said the bank would provide grant assistance for project preparation through its Project Preparation Special Fund.

She also suggested that grants available under the Specialised Fund Window could be used to enable the AIIB to provide loans to Nepal at the most concessional interest rates possible. She reiterated the bank’s commitment to further cooperation in Nepal’s economic development, noting that Nepal is a founding member of the AIIB.

On the occasion, Minister Dr. Wagle congratulated President Zou on her appointment and expressed gratitude for the support the bank has been providing to Nepal as a founding member.

He urged the AIIB to expedite the completion of studies for the electricity distribution system improvement and expansion project and the expressway project currently being supported by the bank. He also expressed concern over the damage caused by the floods to the bank-funded Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project.

Minister Wagle further urged the AIIB to mobilise its own resources as well as those of other development partners for the development of green energy, cross-border electricity transmission lines, road infrastructure and digital infrastructure under medium- and long-term assistance.

During the meeting, Minister Wagle also invited President Zou to visit Nepal in 2026.