Kathmandu, Apr. 16:
Minister for Foreign
Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali has said that Nepal and China were deliberating
on the modalities of cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
He said this while interacting with journalists at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs before leaving for China at the invitation of his
Chinese counterpart Wang Yi Monday evening.
He said that projects
under the Belt and Road Initiative would be finalised by holding dialogue
between the two neighbours.
“Our priorities for the BRI are projects like
infrastructure, such as road and transmission lines, which help in accelerating
economic progress, and China is positive about our preferences. Things couldn’t
move ahead at the desired speed during the political transition, but there will
be positive developments soon,” he said while interacting with journalists at
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday.
Gyawali indicated that Rasuwagadhi in Rasuwa district
and Korala in Mustang district could be the two border points for cross-border
transmission line exchange.
Both the countries have already completed the feasibility
study of the cross-border transmission lines through the Rasuwagadhi-Kyerung border. They plan to complete the construction of the
railway line and transmission lines by 2022.
During the visit of then Prime
Minister KP Sharma Oli to China in March 2016, Nepal had requested its northern
neighbour to provide financial and technical support for the feasibility study
and the preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the cross-border
transmission lines at Rasuawagadhi-Kerung, and proposed Rashuwagadhi-Kathmandu
and Kathmandu-Pokhara-Lumbini Railway Project.
Gyawali said that the government
had adopted a policy to expand trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people
relations with the extended neighbourhood.
“We have given high priority to
protect the interest of the Nepali workers abroad and strengthening the bilateral
relations with the work destination countries,” he said.
He said that the government was
reviewing the decisions of the previous government – including the Budhigandaki
Hydropower Project – and appropriate actions would be taken on them after making
an assessment.
Minister Gyawali expressed hope that the Tatopani
border would also be opened in the near future.
“The Tatopani border is the symbol of the cordial
friendship between the two countries, so it is necessary to bring it into
operation,” he said.
During the 6-day visit, he is scheduled to hold a bilateral
meeting with Wan, which will be followed by a joint press address.
He will meet with state leaders of China and address
the round table meeting of Chinese think tanks.
The minister is also scheduled to visit Chengdu city
of the Sichuan Province, where he will meet with the provincial leaders and
address a programme at Sichuan University.
Nepali Ambassador to China Leela Mani Paudyal and
senior officials of the MoFA are accompanying him.
He will return to Kathmandu on April 21.
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