Kathmandu, Nov. 30
Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba of
Nepal said that the implementation plan of the China promoted Belt and Road
Initiative (BRI) will proceed based on mutual agreement between Nepal and
China.
“Nepal had signed the BRI framework
agreement in 2017, and discussions are ongoing regarding its implementation
plan. Any progress on the BRI would be based on mutual understanding between
the two nations and a consensus within Nepal,” she said during a press briefing
at the Tribhuvan International Airport upon her return from an official visit
to China on Saturday.
She completed a 3-day visit to China which
happened at the invitation of her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. The visit also
set grounds for the visit of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to China who will
embark on a 4-day visit from 2 to 5 November.
According to her, Nepal is currently not in
a position to take loans for projects under BRI so discussions with the Chinese
government have focused on pursuing grants instead. "The Nepali Congress
has already decided formally to advance this project under grant assistance,
and this decision is well-known to our coalition partner, the CPN-UML. We are
holding discussions to move forward on this basis," said FM Dr. Rana.
Dr. Deuba reiterated the longstanding
friendly and close ties between Nepal and China, describing her visit as a
continuation of efforts to further strengthen these historic relations. She
acknowledged the role of high-level visits in deepening bilateral relations and
expanding people-to-people connections.
During her visit, she held cordial
bilateral talks with Chinese FM Wang. The discussions covered various aspects
of Nepal-China relations, including preparations for an upcoming visit to China
by Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
“The talks focused on maximising
opportunities for mutual benefit, including enhancing trade, investment,
cross-border connectivity, and socio-economic partnerships,” she said.
Dr Rana shared Nepal's commitment to
centring its ties with China on these areas, to which Minister Wang Yi
reportedly expressed a positive response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(MoFA) of Nepal said in a statement.
She also underlined the importance of
multi-faceted cooperation between the two nations, noting that discussions had
touched upon political, economic, cultural, and tourism-related topics,
alongside trade, investment, and air connectivity.
According to Dr. Rana reported that both
sides agreed to expedite the implementation of agreements and understandings
reached during past high-level visits. She expressed confidence that her visit
had played a vital role in building mutual trust and further deepening the historic
ties between Nepal and China.
The Foreign Minister returned to Nepal on
Saturday from Chengdu, Sichuan Province, where she had held bilateral meeting
with Chinese FM Wang on Friday.
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