Nepal – Denmark

Nepal Denmark Relations

Political Relations

Nepal and Denmark established diplomatic relations on 15 December 1967. Denmark opened its residential Embassy in Kathmandu in April 1992 at the level of Charge d’ Affaires, which was later upgraded to ambassadorial level. Nepal decided to establish residential Embassy in Denmark in 2007 at the level of Charge d’ Affaires, a. i., which was later upgraded to Ambassadorial level in 2008. Relations between the two countries have always remained cordial and friendly.

Exchange of visits

From Nepal:

  • The then Minister for Finance Hon. Mr. Barshaman Pun “Ananta” visited Denmark on 14- 21 March 2012.
  • The then Foreign Minister Mr. Upendra Yadav, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala visited Denmark in 2008 and in March 2010 respectively.
  • The then Hon. Minister for Commerce and Supplies Mr. Rajendra Mahato visited Denmark in 2009 to participate Nepal Trade Fair 2009.
  • The then Minister for Foreign Affairs Chakra Prasad Bastola paid an official visit to Denmark from 3-5 April 2001.
  • The then Prime Minister late Man Mohan Adhikary visited Denmark to represent Nepal at the UN-sponsored World Summit for Social Development in March 1995.
  • A 13-member Danish Parliamentary goodwill delegation led by the Speaker of the Danish Parliament Mr. Erling Olsen paid a six-day visit to Nepal in September 1995.
  • A six-member Nepalese parliamentary delegation led by the then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Daman Nath Dhungana, visited Denmark in the last quarter of 1992.
  • Late King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya paid a State Visit to Denmark from 13 to 23 October 1989.

From Denmark:

  • Danish Crown Prince, His Highness Frederik André Henrik, in his capacity as the Honorary Commissioner of Danish Red Cross, visited Nepal from 17-21 September 2015 to take stock of the damages caused by the April 25 earthquake as well as to oversee the earthquake preparedness and relief operations launched in the areas with support from the Danish Red Cross.
  • A Parliamentary delegation led by the Speaker Mr. Erling Olsen paid a visit to Nepal in 1995, which was followed by the Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Danish Parliament in 2006.
  • A Denish Delegation led by Ms. Sus Ulbaek, Undersecretary for Africa, Asia, America, and Other Middle East visited Nepal on April 11, 2011 to participate Nepal- Denmark High Level Consultation meeting.
  • A delegation led by Minister for Development Cooperation Mr. Soren Pind, visited Nepal from 7 to 10 April 2010
  • A delegation led by Hon. Danish Minister for Development Cooperation Mr. Soren Pind, visited Nepal from 7th to 10th  April 2010 with the purpose to discuss the over- all development situation including the political situation and  the peace process supported by the Government of Denmark.
  • A Danish Delegation headed by Ambassador Carsten Nilaus Pedersen, a special envoy for the Minister for Foreign Affairs, visited Nepal from 24 to 26 October 2007. The delegation was supposed to be headed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs but he had to cancel his visit to Nepal due to announcement of election in Denmark.
  • E. Mrs. Ulla Torneas, Development Cooperation Minister of Denmark visited Nepal from 19 to 22 September 2006.
  • A delegation of Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Danish Parliament visited Nepal from 27 November to 1st December 2006.
Development Cooperation

The long-term development cooperation partnership of Denmark with Nepal came into being with the agreement signed in 1973 which provided for the loan assistance of Danish Kroner 20 million for the dairy development schemes. And in 1989, Nepal was included in the list of priority countries.

Danish cooperation which amounted to around Danish Croner 200 million annually in recent times, has been substantial and has contributed significantly in Nepal’s socio-economic development, particularly in such sectors as education, natural resources management, environment and energy, good governance and decentralization. These cooperation programs and their positive impacts on the lives of ordinary people will remain as enduring mark of friendship between the two governments and peoples.

Some major projects to have been successfully completed under Danish Assistance include Education for All, Secondary Education Support Program, Kailali-Kanchanpur Rural Eletrification, Revenue Administration Support, Strengthening the Capacity of the National Human Right Commission of Nepal, Support to Participatory Constitution Building, Support for the Election Commission, human rights, Democracy and Inclusion Fund, etc.

Following are the three major ongoing Danish cooperation programs in Nepal:

  1. National Rural & Renewable Energy Programme (NRREP), 2012 – July 2017: With DKK 205 million budget and a time frame of 2012-2017, through National Rural and Renewable Energy Programme, Denmark intends to support green and renewable energy; such as home solar power, hydro power, improved cooking stoves, and bio gas installations. The aim is to reach out to the economically least privileged and the most remote parts of Nepal thereby helping them improve their livings standards and leading to the increased employment prospects. The programme has a decentralised structure and is being carried out in the strong partnerships with NGOs, local authorities, and the private sector.
  2. Peace, Rights and Governance Programme (PRGP), 2014-December 2018: The objective of the Peace, Rights and Governance Programme is to foster social cohesion and improve access to justice and public services in rural areas thus contributing to political stability and peace. The programme consists of three main components; 1. Peace-building and Democratic Development, 2. Local Governance, 3. Access to Justice and Human Rights. The total budget for this program during the period of 2014-2018 is DKK 200 million.
  3. UNNATI-Inclusive Growth Programme in Nepal, 2014-December 2018. The UNNATI – Inclusive Growth Programme focuses on promoting sustainable inclusive growth by reducing poverty and raising living standards in Nepal. The programme supports farmers in improving their production by supporting them financially, improving the infrastructure and the value chain. The programme works on strengthening and commercializing the value chains of the agriculture commodities: ginger, orthodox tea and dairy in Eastern Nepal. The Programme takes its point of departure in 7 districts in the Eastern Region. However, as value chain development by nature goes beyond borders, the programme will address issues at all levels and even international issues as needs be.

There are also some Danish volunteers working in Nepal in projects assisted by the Danish Government. Denmark is committed to maintaining to present level of Development assistance to Nepal about DKK 200 million per year.

Trade/Investment

Nepal exports handicrafts, silver products, ready-made garments, woollen goods, woollen carpets, Nepalese paper and paper products, etc. to Denmark, and imports machinery and parts, medicine and medical equipment, industrial raw materials, food and edible items, etc. from Denmark. The following figure shows that Nepal’s balance of trade with Denmark is negative. It is heavily in favour of Denmark:

Import (Rs.)

(Jan to Dec 2017)

 Export (Rs.)

(Jan to Dec 2017)

 Import

(Jan-Dec 2018)

 Export

(Jan-Dec 2018)
Denmark 639,798,086 332,005,281 651,084,511 460,341,672

 Source; TEPC, Nepal

Tourism

The tourist arrival from Denmark for the last few years is as follows:

Year 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Number 7,118 5,320 5,150 3,159 4,082
Year 2017 2018 2019
Number 4287 4840  NA

Agreements

The Government of Nepal and the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark signed a Memorandum of Understanding on August 11, 2000 regarding Private Sector Development Programme. The Government of Nepal and the Government of Denmark signed an agreement concerning support to the Nepal Peace Trust Fund (NPTF) on April 4, 2007.

Bhutanese Refugees

Denmark, sometimes in the capacity of lead member and often as an active member of the Core Working Group (CWG), has been supporting the process of third country resettlement of the Bhutanese refugees staying in Nepal. In the course of third country resettlement, more than 600 Bhutanese refugees have been resettled in Denmark and the resettlement programme is expected to continue for some years to come.