Foreign minister Khanal returns home, Australia pledges additional grant for post-flood reconstruction

Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal returned home on Saturday after completing visits to Fiji, Tuvalu and Australia.

During the visit, Australia announced an additional grant of about 15 million Australian dollars for relief and reconstruction in flood-affected areas, Minister Khanal said. At today's exchange rate from Nepal Rastra Bank of 107.83 rupees, this amount is equivalent to nearly 1.62 billion rupees.

According to Minister Khanal, Australia's total support for the flood response has now reached about 26 million Australian dollars.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said talks with Australian Foreign Minister Wong covered climate cooperation, glacier monitoring and modernizing early warning systems.

In a meeting with Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn, discussions touched on the welfare of the Nepali diaspora and Nepali students. At the Pre-COP Leaders event, Khanal said that since melting glaciers and rising sea levels are interlinked problems, cooperation between mountain and island nations under the theme 'from Sagarmatha to the sea' was needed.