PM Prachanda discusses Nepal-US bilateral cooperation with MCC CEO Albright

The CEO of a US aid agency that granted $500 million in assistance to Nepal on Tuesday called on Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' and discussed various issues related to Nepal-US cooperation, an official statement said.

According to the Prime Minister's Office, Alice Albright, CEO of Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), made a courtesy call to Prime Minister Prachanda where they discussed the implementation of the MCC projects in Nepal.

Albright is currently in Nepal to celebrate MCC's entry into force. Six years after the signing of the agreement between the US and Nepal governments, the MCC project came into implementation on August 30.

"Chief Executive Officer of MCC Alice Albright paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' today. On the occasion, a discussion was focused on various areas of Nepal-United States cooperation including MCC projects," the PMO tweeted on X.

The grant assistance of $500 million from the US government under the MCC project is to be utilised for upgrading road transport and constructing transmission lines in the Himalayan nation.

On Monday, the MCC chief met with the Chairman of the CPN-UML party KP Sharma Oli, Minister for Energy Shakti Bahadur Basnet and Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transportation Prakash Jwala.

During the meetings, the leaders discussed the ways for the effective implementation of the MCC projects.

Albright is the daughter of former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. She is the highest-ranking MCC official to visit Nepal after the country accepted the $500 million grant.

Nepal inked the MCC pact to fund infrastructure projects in the country in 2017 and it has been a bone of contention between the US and China.

MCC, established by the US Congress in 2004, provides time-limited grants promoting economic growth, reducing poverty, and strengthening institutions in the world’s developing countries committed to just and democratic governance, economic freedom and investing in their populations.