'Implementation of BRI in mutual agreement'

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu,Dec,1: Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba has 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 these projects 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. Rana 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 the 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 expressed a positive response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of Nepal said in a statement.

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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.