Kathmandu, Sept. 21
Prime Minister
Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda is embarking on an official visit of China from 23
to 30 September.
He is visiting the
northern neighbour at the invitation of Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang.
PM Prachanda is
currently in New York of the United States of America to participate in the 78th
General Assembly of the United Nations.
Prime Minister Prachanda
is scheduled to meet with Xi Jinping, President of China in Hangzhou, informed
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) in a statement on Thursday.
He will hold a
bilateral meeting with his counterpart Premier Li Qiang, and a meeting with
Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress
in Beijing. The Prime Minister will also address the China-Nepal Investment
Summit jointly organised by the China Council for the Promotion of
International Trade (CCPIT) and the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce
and Industry (FNCCI) and Nepali Embassy in Beijing.
Prime Minister
Prachanda will attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games
in Hangzhou on September 23.
According to the
MoFA, he is scheduled to visit Chongqing Municipality to observe the
agricultural and industrial advancement of China. He will also visit Lhasa,
Tibet Autonomous Region of China that borders with Nepal.
Nepal
and China enjoy an excellent state of bilateral relations as good friends, close
neighbours and trusted partners. "The pedestal of this strong relationship
has been nurtured by many commonalities in culture, history, and geography. This visit will bolster our age-old
bilateral relations and expand the areas of cooperation in various fields of
mutual interest," read the statement issued by the MoFA.
The Prime Minister
will be accompanied by his daughter Ganga Dahal, Narayan Prakash Saud, Minister
for Foreign Affairs, Mahindra Raya Yadav, Minister for Water Supply, Prakash
Jwala, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Shanker Das Bairagi,
National Security Advisor, Dr. Min Bahadur Shrestha, Vice-Chairman of the
National Planning Commission, and other senior government officials as well as
representatives from business community.
The Nepali
delegation will arrive in Kathmandu on 30 September 2023.
As said by Prime
Minister Prachanda earlier, the visit aims to give new momentum to the
bilateral relationship between Nepal and China. Effectively opening the border
points is the top agenda for his visit so that seamless trade could happen
between the two neighbours.
Other agenda
include infrastructure development like roads and energy, agriculture,
technology and trade. Enhancing the cross-border connectivity will also be a
major agenda. Speaking at the Federal Parliament last month, PM Prachanda had
also said that he had also given priority to the electricity trade and
construction of Kimathanka Hydropower Project.
Since Nepal's
trade deficit with China is going up rapidly, the country wants to find ways to
create more balance in the trade between the two countries.
Likewise, Nepal
wants to open the seasonal border points in Sankhuwasabha, Dolakha, Gorkha,
Bajhang, Dolpa and Darchula permanently and upgrade them to facilitate the
local people's movement across the border as well as facilitate cross-border
trade. Nepal is also taking up the issue of opening of Ruila border in Gorkha,
Urai in Bajhang and Tinker in Darchula for local people.
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