Kathmandu: Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba held a meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in New Delhi, India, on Tuesday. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 10th edition of the Raisina Dialogue 2025, organized by India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

Minister Dr. Rana described the meeting as "a highly fruitful interaction." Writing on her X account (formerly Twitter), she mentioned that both leaders reviewed the current state of Nepal-India relations, discussed ongoing engagements across multiple sectors, and explored opportunities for enhancing people-to-people and diplomatic exchanges. "I expressed my appreciation for India’s Neighbourhood First Policy and conveyed Nepal’s continued prioritization of relations with India," she shared.

During their discussions, the two foreign ministers talked about exchange of high-level visits, deepening mutual cooperation, trade and transit issues, and progress on water resources development between the two countries.

Unified Action Is Essential To Address The Impacts Of Climate Change

In addition to the bilateral meeting, Dr. Rana also addressed a session on climate change at the Raisina Dialogue 2025. In her speech, she highlighted the severe impacts of climate change on developing countries, including Nepal. She emphasized the urgent need for collective global cooperation to minimize its effects.

Dr. Rana stated that Nepal is at the forefront of the consequences of climate change and reiterated Nepal’s consistent advocacy for climate justice at international forums. She urged for collective action, stating that the impacts of climate change are not confined to mountainous nations like Nepal but threaten the entire planet.

She also underscored Nepal’s push for compensation under climate justice frameworks and called for comprehensive discussions on climate financing mechanisms. Citing last year’s devastating floods in Nepal, which claimed more than 250 lives and caused damages worth Rs 45 billion, Dr. Rana illustrated the escalating cost of climate disasters. These floods severely impacted key sectors such as drinking water, roads, energy, irrigation, and agricultural infrastructure.

Dr. Rana stressed the need for a new approach to climate financing, arguing that traditional aid is no longer sufficient. She called for the exploration of alternative funding strategies, including public-private partnerships. Additionally, she advocated for enhanced technical assistance to Nepal, particularly in strengthening early warning systems for rains, floods, and landslides to bolster disaster preparedness.

She concluded by emphasizing Nepal’s vulnerability and the need for additional compensation and support to address the increasing risks posed by climate change.