Kathmandu, Oct. 8: Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal and his Australian counterpart Penny Wong held bilateral talks in Melbourne on Wednesday, discussing ways to further strengthen Nepal-Australia relations and cooperation across a range of sectors.

During the meeting, the two ministers reviewed the overall state of bilateral ties and exchanged views on matters of mutual interest. They expressed satisfaction with the longstanding and cordial relationship between Nepal and Australia, which is built on shared democratic values, mutual respect and strong people-to-people ties.

Wong expressed condolences and sympathy to the families and communities affected by the recent devastating floods in Nepal and reaffirmed Australia’s support for Nepal’s relief, recovery and reconstruction efforts.

She also announced an additional AUD 15 million in assistance for relief and early recovery, bringing Australia’s recent humanitarian support to AUD 26 million, including the AUD 11 million previously committed for emergency response.

Khanal thanked the Australian government and people for their timely and generous assistance, saying Australia’s support during the crisis reflected the strong goodwill between the two countries.

Climate change and disaster resilience also featured prominently in the talks. Khanal urged Australia to use its international leadership, including its upcoming COP31 co-presidency, to draw greater attention to the disproportionate impacts of climate change on Nepal’s fragile Himalayan ecosystem.

He called for stronger bilateral cooperation in climate adaptation, early warning systems, disaster preparedness and the development of climate-resilient infrastructure.

The two sides also discussed expanding educational cooperation, including the possibility of establishing Australian-accredited technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions in Nepal.

Khanal highlighted the significant contribution of Nepali students and the wider Nepali diaspora to Australia’s multicultural society and economy and requested favourable consideration for Nepali students under recent changes to Australia’s student visa policies.

The ministers further explored opportunities to expand cooperation in trade, foreign direct investment, technology transfer, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, tourism, labour mobility and direct air connectivity between Nepal and Australia.

Wong reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with Nepal and welcomed continued cooperation in areas of shared priority.

The meeting concluded with both sides agreeing to maintain regular high-level engagements and work toward translating the understandings reached into concrete outcomes for the mutual benefit of the two countries.