Editing Foreign relations of Nepal (section)

===France===
{{main|France-Nepal relations}}
{{Flagicon|France}}{{Flagicon|Nepal}}

Nepal and the French Republic entered into diplomatic relations on 20 April 1949.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Nepal - France Relations - Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nepal MOFA |url=https://mofa.gov.np/nepal-france-relations/ |access-date=2022-05-05 |website=mofa.gov.np}}</ref> Bilateral economic cooperation programme commenced in February 1981 when the two countries signed the First Protocol amounting to French Franc 50 million loan which was converted into debt in 1989.<ref name=":2"/> Food aid and the counterpart funds that it generated have been the main form of aid since 1991.<ref name=":2"/> Main areas of cooperation are national seismologic network, petroleum exploration, restructuring of Water Supply Corporation, the Kavre Integrated Project and Gulmi and Arghakhanchi Rural Development Project, rehabilitation of airports, 'food for work', and others.<ref name=":2"/>

Nepal and France have signed an agreement concerning Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investment in 1983.<ref name=":2"/> The major areas of French investment are hotels, restaurants, medicine, aluminium windows and doors, vehicle body building sectors.<ref name=":2"/> Alcatelhad became the leading supplier of the Nepal Telecommunication Corporation, with 200,000 lines installed, and fibre optic cables.<ref name=":2"/> Cegelec secured a 24 million dollars contract in respect of the construction of Kali Gandaki hydroelectric project.<ref name=":2"/>

The Government of Nepal awarded a contract to Oberthur Technologies of France in 2010, for printing, supply, and delivery of Machine Readable Passports.<ref name=":2"/> A significant number of French tourists (24,097 in 2014, 16, 405 in 2015, and, 20,863 in 2016) arrive in Nepal from France each year.<ref name=":2"/>