Nepal, March 20 -- Japan bilateral relations, founded on democratic values, have grown from strength to strength over seven decades. Long-standing cultural ties predate the establishment of formal diplomatic ties in 1956. In the course of time, high-level official visits and evolving cross-sectoral cooperation have shaped bilateral ties. Japan's relationship with Nepal is based on a firm belief in the quality of Nepali products, which is also seen in its effort to source raw materials from Nepal. Interestingly, the bark of the Edgeworthia gardneri shrub, locally called Argeli in Nepal, is used to produce Japan's currency.

Japan remains one of the investors and a major source country for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Nepal. According...