Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle Meets AIIB President in Doha for Infrastructure Investment

Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle met Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) Governor President Zou Jiayi in Doha to discuss expanding the bank’s financial support, disaster reconstruction assistance, and access to concessional funding for Nepal.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 11th Annual Meeting of the AIIB Board of Governors.

According to the Finance Minister’s secretariat, Minister Wagle urged the AIIB to broaden its investments in Nepal. He requested financial backing for post-disaster rebuilding and asked the multilateral lender to provide soft-loan options to ease the country's borrowing terms.

President Zou expressed deep condolences over the loss of lives and physical destruction caused by the recent flooding of the Bhote Koshi River. She assured Minister Wagle of the bank’s commitment to assisting Nepal with resilient reconstruction efforts.

To facilitate this support, President Zou stated that the AIIB will provide grant assistance through its Project Preparation Special Fund to help design upcoming projects. She noted that grants from the Special Fund Window could be blended with loans to ensure Nepal receives the lowest possible interest rates. Reaffirming the bank's long-term partnership with Nepal, a founding member of the AIIB - Zou pledged continued cooperation for the country's economic development.

During the discussion, Minister Wagle congratulated Zou on her presidency and expressed gratitude for the bank’s ongoing assistance. He requested the swift completion of feasibility studies for active projects, including upgrades to the electricity distribution network and an expressway project.

Wagle also voiced regret over the flood damage sustained by the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project, an initiative funded by the AIIB. Looking ahead, he called on the bank to mobilize both its internal resources and external donor funds for medium- and long-term development in key sectors, including:

Green energy and cross border power transmission lines.

Road network infrastructure.

Digital infrastructure expansion.

Minister Wagle concluded the meeting by extending an official invitation to President Zou to visit Nepal before the end of 2026.