Kathmandu, Dec. 20
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba has urged
India to grant Nepal additional air routes, a demand that the country has long
been raising with its southern neighbour.
With the two new international airports in Bhairahawa and
Pokhara and one more in the offing at Nijgadh, the country is in need of
enhanced air connectivity.
Speaking at the Indo-Nepal Economic Conference in New Delhi
on Friday, she underlined the significance of such cooperation for Nepal’s
aviation and tourism sectors, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) informed
in a statement.
“We have constructed two international airports in Pokhara
and Lumbini, both of which are globally significant destinations. Pokhara is a
renowned tourist city while Lumbini is the birthplace of Lord Buddha. These
airports are not only meant to boost tourism but also to enhance overall
connectivity. To operate them at full capacity, we require additional air
routes,” FM Dr. Rana said elaborating on her demand made with India.
She also appealed to Indian airlines to increase flights to
Nepal and assured them of maximum facilitation, including attractive incentives
from the Government of Nepal. According to her, these airports will promote not
only tourism but also help strengthen people-to-people ties and bilateral
relations between the two nations.
Dr. Rana said that
the full operation of these airports, aided by additional air routes, would
unlock further tourism potential between Nepal and India while also
contributing to South Asia's connectivity. She cited joint initiatives like the
Ramayana Circuit and the Buddha Circuit as effective ways to promote religious
and cultural tourism and called for collaborative efforts to realise mutual
benefits.
The Foreign Minister invited Indian investors to explore
Nepal’s vast opportunities while informing that India remains the largest
investor in the country. She highlighted Nepal's recent sovereign credit rating
of ‘BB-’ as evidence of its investment-friendly environment. The rating is best
in South Asia after India.
“Nepal has restructured its policies and enacted numerous
laws to improve the investment climate. We are ready to sign bilateral
investment agreements with as many countries as possible and offer attractive
incentive packages, including tax benefits and export promotions,” said FM Dr.
Rana.
She expressed the government's support in guaranteeing the full
repatriation of investment earnings.
She also appreciated recent progress in cross-border
infrastructure development, especially in the areas of rail links, petroleum
pipelines, electricity transmission lines and motorable bridges. She also urged
India to ease non-tariff barriers, facilitate border trade, and implement
bilateral agreements to ensure balanced trade relations.
FM Dr. Rana acknowledged the breakthrough in cross-border
electricity trade. An agreement for it was signed by former Nepali Prime
Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April
2022. "This agreement set the stage for Nepal to export up to 10,000 MW of
electricity to India within a decade. Additionally, a recent tripartite deal
has enabled Nepal to sell 40 MW of electricity to Bangladesh via the Indian
grid," she said while adding that the agreement has encouraged hydropower
developers to invest in Nepal’s energy sector.
Dr. Rana had reached New Delhi directly from Germany to
participate in the conference on Thursday. She will return to Nepal on Monday.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 21 December 2024.
No comments:
Post a Comment