In her first visit to Pokhara, French Ambassador to Nepal Virginie Corteval met with Pokhara Metropolitan City Mayor Dhanraj Acharya to discuss topics of mutual interest, focusing on the upcoming 75th anniversary of the historic first ascent of Annapurna I. Mayor Acharya shared that Ambassador Corteval expressed the French government’s interest in organizing a special event in Pokhara in 2025 to commemorate this milestone in mountaineering history.
The 75th anniversary honors French climber Maurice Herzog, who, along with his teammate Louis Lachenal, made history on June 3, 1950, by becoming the first to successfully summit Annapurna I, marking a new chapter in global mountaineering.
During the meeting, various areas of cooperation were discussed, including support for the Annapurna Clean-Up Campaign, geological surveys in Pokhara, and technical assistance. Both sides showed interest in establishing a “sister city” relationship between Pokhara and a French tourist city, working on waste management and processing projects, and promoting bilateral tourism.
Pokhara Metropolitan spokesperson Motilal Timilsina and Chief Administrative Officer Shivaraj Chaulagain were also present at the meeting. Mayor Acharya emphasized that Pokhara is open to collaborating with the French government on initiatives ranging from the Annapurna Clean-Up Campaign to broader tourism promotion.
In a separate meeting, Mayor Acharya also met with a delegation of Japanese business leaders led by Japanese parliament members. Discussions centered on the long-standing collaboration between Japan and Pokhara in labor, technology exchange, and Japan’s contributions to ongoing development projects in Pokhara.
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