China is Nepal’s trusted development partner: PM Dahal; Nepal wants to get maximum benefit from OBOR: Foreign Minister Dr Mahat

Kathmandu / March 26: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has said China has been Nepal’s reliable and trusted partner for development. Nepal-China partnership goes beyond the economic and social spheres, he added.

Addressing a programme on ‘Nepal China Relations: Prospects on Growth and Prosperity’ organized by Beijing Foreign Studies University in China on Sunday, he said the spontaneous assistance rendered by Chinese government and people in the immediate aftermath of earthquake in 2015 won the hearts of Nepali people.

Similarly, the Prime Minister said the generous pledge made by China for Nepal’s post-disaster reconstruction testifies to our cordial friendship. China’s support and goodwill in helping the development pursuits of Nepal has been outstanding.

Lauding the Chinese take off in the economic front, he said, “While China makes incredible progress in every sphere, we, as a country with least developed economy, suffer from several bottlenecks. In our pursuit to dismantle those hurdles, we have begun with consolidation of political progress and now, our focus is on economic development. Our country, endowed as it is with both human and natural resources, has tremendous potentials for development.”

Prime Minister Prachanda thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for the One Belt One Road initiative which, he said, offers tremendous opportunities for collaboration and partnership. “Looking back, some of you may be aware, Nepal used to be an important thoroughfare in the ancient silk route. It was a vibrant trade entrépot that connected parts of Central Asia with South Asia,” he stressed.

He reiterated that Nepal adheres to One-China policy. “We are committed to not allowing hostile activities against China on our soil,” he said, adding that Nepal and China have cooperated with each other on many areas and at various levels -bilateral, regional and global.

Addressing the professors, scholars and academicians at the University, Prime Minister Prachanda underscored that it is not only geography, but markets that have connected us; not only history, destiny has connected us; and not only our past, the prospect of prosperous future has connected us.

According to the PM, modern success story could be realized with success story of connectivity; of development; of mobility; and of shared prosperity. Nepal has already signed a MoU on Belt and Road Initiative in 2014, we are in the final stage of concluding the extended MoU, he reminded on the occasion.

Also, he underscored that Nepal and China have multiple avenues for partnership and expressed commitment to fully implementing the agreements and understandings reached in the past. Our engagement in the Asian Infrastructure Bank is a case in point. Similarly, Nepal has become a Dialogue Partner of Shanghai Cooperation Organization since last year, he noted.

On Sunday itself, PM Dahal inaugurated the Centre for Nepali Studies at this University.

Nepal wants to get maximum benefit from OBOR: Foreign Minister Dr Mahat

Meanwhile, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat, who accompanies Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ on his official visit to China, has viewed that Nepal wants to get as much as benefits from the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative proposed by China.

Minister Dr Mahat made this remark at a programme organised by Beijing Foreign Studies University in China today.

“Nepal is a landlocked country and a grand project like this will help connect China’s neighbouring Nepal to the rest of the world and benefit the country by exporting its produces,” he said.

The minister said Nepal would benefit from exporting its produces to Asia and European markets along with making country’s multiple dimensions known to the world through this huge project of China, said Dr Mahat’s Public Relations and Press Coordinator Yek Raj Pathak.

Saying it would be a good opportunity for Nepal having a huge potentiality for development once it could be connected to China and other world through road connectivity, he requested China to provide assistances in infrastructure development of the country.

“Nepal is not poor nor is it small in geography. We do have abundance opportunities for development but the brain drain of the country continues to take place for want of necessary development in infrastructure sector. There is not also expected foreign investment pouring into Nepal,” he said.

Minister Dr Mahat also urged the Government of China to make investments in Nepal’s tourism, hydropower and other sectors.

The Foreign Affair Minister added that Nepal was not benefitting due to lack of infrastructure development despite sufficient resources like water, natural heritages, herbs and plants while the outbound of Nepal’s labor force was huge every year.

On the occasion, he reiterated that the century-long relations existing between Nepal-China was very good even today and pledged Nepal’s commitment to one-China policy. RSS