KATHMANDU: World Bank Country Director for Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka, David Sislen, paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli at the Prime Minister’s residence in Baluwatar today.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed enhancing mutual cooperation to achieve Nepal’s development goals through increased investment and employment generation.

Prime Minister Oli expressed gratitude to the World Bank for approving Nepal’s six-year Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for 2025–2031 and welcomed continued financial and technical support to help the country achieve its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and transition from a least developed to a developing nation.

Oli briefed the World Bank official on the government’s priorities, including agricultural modernization, productivity enhancement, entrepreneurship, and youth participation in business and service sectors.

He emphasized that Nepal should receive fair compensation from the international community for its contributions to combating climate change.

Reflecting on his first term as Prime Minister, Oli said development efforts had been hampered by natural disasters like earthquakes and floods, but the current focus was now on boosting production, market access, and job creation—areas where institutions like the World Bank could provide vital support.

In response, Country Director Sislen said the World Bank plans to increase investments in employment generation, climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, agriculture, social development, and cultural sectors under the CPF.

He also expressed readiness to support Prime Minister Oli’s vision of national security “from the Himalayas to the sea.”

Present at the meeting were Prime Minister Oli’s economic and development advisor Dr. Yuba Raj Khatiwada, Chief Personal Secretary Rajesh Bajracharya, and senior officials from the Ministry of Finance.