Washington, Dec 19 (PTI) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had a rare meeting with Nepal's Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali as part of the Trump administration's effort to thwart increasing Chinese influence in the Himalayan nation.

Pompeo described his meeting on Tuesday with Gyawali as historic and said this demonstrates America's commitment to its strong partnership with Nepal.

He emphasised the great potential for further development of US-Nepal ties, State Department deputy spokesperson Robert Palladino said.

During the meeting, Pompeo highlighted the enduring strength of the US-Nepal partnership and the close people-to-people ties that form the foundation of the relationship.

"The two leaders discussed Nepal's USD 500 million Millennium Challenge Corporation compact, Nepal's central role in a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific, and global issues, including North Korea," Palladino said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)