Banking News – Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle returned home today after participating in the annual meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). He returned to Kathmandu at 8:45 AM today via a Qatar Airways flight. The visit was fruitful for expanding the bank’s investment in Nepal’s important infrastructure development, technology transfer, and further cooperation among member countries.

He had departed for Doha, the capital of Qatar, on Ashoj 10 to participate in the meeting. This meeting elected Finance Minister and Governor of the AIIB Board of Governors, Dr. Swarnim Wagle, as Vice Chair for 2026-27. The meeting elected Nepal as Vice Chair from among the regional member countries.

During the meeting, Dr. Wagle stated that capital formation through infrastructure is a major source of economic growth for less developed countries, and emphasized the need to invest in major means of production including roads, electricity, communication, and information technology. He also expressed views at the meeting on ways to make the bank’s investment maximally concessional to match the needs of countries like Nepal, and the need to make finance available in a manner that attracts domestic and foreign private capital.

During the meeting, he also held discussions with the AIIB President and Finance Ministers of the bank’s member countries including Qatar, India, Bangladesh, Armenia, and Georgia on matters of bilateral interest, economic cooperation, investment expansion, and assistance for post-natural disaster reconstruction in Nepal.

With Nepal being elected Vice Chair of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank for the first time, it is expected that further avenues will open for the expansion of the bank’s investment, technology transfer, and cooperation for the country’s important infrastructure development.