Tatopani to open from May 2019

Kathmandu, June 14: Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali has said that the Tatopani border would come into operation from May 2019.

The major trade point between Nepal and China has remained shut following the devastating earthquake of 2015, although there were multiple diplomatic efforts from Nepal to reopen the border.

The quake had destroyed the road, which is yet to be rebuilt.

China is constructing the damaged bridge at the border point while Nepal will reconstruct the highway.

“According to China, the bridge will be completed before May next year, but the operation of the border will depend on the completion of the road,” said minister Gyawali at an interaction with journalists at his office at Singha Durbar on Thursday.

The northern neighbour is also constructing a dry port in Larcha.

Meanwhile, Nepal and China are preparing to sign various Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements on forming a Foreign Ministry level mechanism for the Keyung-Kathmandu Railway project, constructing bridges, transit transportation, cross border transmission line, energy and disaster management support during the upcoming visit of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to the northern neighbour.

Prime Minister Oli is scheduled to embark on his six-day official visit to China on June 19.

Foreign Minister Gyawali said that a MoU would be signed for a 960-megawatt capacity cascade project in Marsyandi River in western Nepal. The MoU will be signed between SCIG China and Butwal Power Company, Nepal.

Chinese and Nepali private sector companies will also sign MoUs for cooperation in agriculture, pashmina, cement and energy sectors.

Nepal has also urged China for support in human resource development for the railway project, and China is positive to provide short-term training and long-term study on the topic. It will also support Nepal in capacity enhancement in shipping business, Foreign Minister Gyawali said.

During PM Oli's visit to China, the Embassy of Nepal will organise a luncheon in the honour of the PM on the first day.

There will be discussion with the Chinese business community on the second day. The programme will be organised by the Chinese Council for Promotion of International Trade. The MoU will be signed between private sector companies on the same day.

The PM will also meet high level leaders on that day.

On the third day, PM Oli will inaugurate a Nepal-China Friendly Run to promote a Visit Nepal Year 2020 campaign in Beijing.

He will also hold delegation-level bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart, Li Keqiang, in the afternoon.

The chief of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will also call on Oli.

On the fourth day, PM Oli will visit Tibet to observe the development in the autonomous region.

According to Gyawali, the visit will strengthen the traditional and friendly bilateral relations with China and will give a new height to it in the changing scenario.

He said that the visit of Oli to China as the PM in 2016 was highly important as the country had signed historic agreements on connectivity, transit and trade.

Both the governments are exchanging high level delegations to make preparations for the visit.

BIMSTEC meeting fixed

Foreign Affairs Minister Gyawali said that the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) meeting would be held in Nepal by the end of August this year.

“All the member states have agreed on the date and sent their consent for the participation. It will be an important multilateral meeting in Kathmandu,” he said.

According to him, connectivity would be a major agenda at the BIMSTEC meeting.

Published in The Rising Nepal on 15 June 2018.