22 January 2021, Kathmandu
US Ambassador to Nepal Randy Berry met with Prime Minister KP Oli and discussed President Biden’s top priorities on Thursday.
Ambassador Berry noted that the Biden administration wants to partner with Nepal and other countries to meet the common challenges that no single nation can face on its own – from climate change to nuclear proliferation, and from cyber-warfare to global health challenges like COVID-19, according to the US Embassy.
As President Biden said, “America has been tested and we have come out stronger for it. We will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again. Not to meet yesterday’s challenges, but today’s and tomorrow’s. We will lead not merely by the example of our power but by the power of our example. We will be a strong and trusted partner for peace, progress, and security.”
Ambassador Berry told Prime Minister Oli the new administration will use diplomacy as the premier tool for global engagement, the US Embassy statement said.
According to the statement, President Biden believes in international cooperation to solve common challenges like COVID-19.
Ambassador Berry said President Biden will resume U.S. membership in the World Health Organization, and will also restore the U.S. relationship with other international organizations and reinvigorate partnerships with democracies around the world, including Nepal.
As the first order of business, President Biden has rejoined the Paris Climate Accord and will lead a diplomatic push to raise countries’ climate targets, including the United States.
Ambassador Berry also recognized Nepal is on the front lines of climate change. He relayed the Embassy’s desire to help make the Sagarmatha Sambaad dialogue a success and discuss how to address the effects of climate change together.
The Biden administration will be a leader on human rights, including by having a focus on uplifting the rights of women and girls at home and around the world. Ambassador Berry said he looks forward to working together on these issues.
According to the statement, the meeting with Prime Minister Oli was one in a succession of high-level meetings Ambassador Berry will have with the Nepali government and political party leaders to discuss the new presidential administration’s global priorities.
