Visit enhances Nepal's position in int’l arena: Foreign Ministry

By Modnath Dhakal/Karun Aryal,Kathmandu/Beijing, Sept. 4: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli returned to Kathmandu on Wednesday night after concluding his five-day visit to China.  

He was received by Deputy Prime Minister Prakash Man Singh, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Arzu Rana and others at the VVIP Lounge of the Tribhuvan International Airport. 

While in China, the Prime Minister participated in the 25th Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Tianjin and attended a commemorative ceremony and military parade held on Wednesday at Tiananmen Square, Beijing, marking the 80th anniversary of the Chinese people's victory in World War II against Fascism and the Japanese Invasion.

The bilateral meetings and talks of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli held with the President and Vice President of China, and the heads of state and government of various other countries have made a significant contribution to further enhancing Nepal’s standing in the international arena, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said in a statement issued Wednesday night. 

During his bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, PM Oli raised the issue of Lipulek – a border pass in Nepali territory. 

In the meeting held on Saturday in Tianjin of China, he asserted that the territory belongs to Nepal and reminded the Chinese President that the Government of Nepal registered its strong objection to the recent understanding reached between India and China on border trade through Lipulek, the Embassy of Nepal in Beijing informed in a statement.

Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai informed on the same day that Prime Minister Oli, during his meeting with President Xi, explicitly conveyed Nepal’s objection to the agreement reached between China and India to use the Nepali territory. In response, President Xi said that he had no differing opinion regarding Nepal’s stance and wished that the matter be concluded through discussions between Nepal and India. 

Meanwhile, according to Chinese state media Xinhua, the grand parade showcased thousands of troops, modern aircraft, and advanced weaponry, highlighting the new structure of China’s armed forces. 

Following the ceremony, Prime Minister Oli joined President Xi at a state banquet held at the Great Hall of the People. He left for Nepal in the evening from the Beijing International Airport, where he was seen off by Chinese officials and staff from the Nepali Embassy in Beijing.

Prime Minister Oli had reached Tianjin on August 31 at the invitation of Chinese President Xi to attend the 25th SCO Summit and the 80th anniversary celebrations.

Trade, investment, connectivity top discussion agenda

During the visit, Prime Minister Oli held bilateral meetings with several key leaders, including President Xi, Vice President Han Zheng, and leaders from other SCO member and observer countries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith, Cambodian PM Dr. Hun Manet, Maldivian President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

Discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, education, culture, and aviation connectivity. There was also a shared commitment to work together on mutually beneficial issues in international forums. Leaders expressed interest in further strengthening people-to-people ties and diplomatic relations between Nepal and their respective nations.

According to the MoFA, during the meeting with the President of Russia, issues related to strengthening Nepal–Russia relations and promoting mutually beneficial cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, education, culture, and air connectivity were discussed. Prime Minister Oli invited President Putin to visit Nepal.

In his meeting with Laotian President Dr. Sisoulith, views on enhancing cooperation in the areas of culture, agriculture, and people-to-people relations were exchanged. They also agreed to work together in international forums to promote the interests of Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), informed the MoFA.

Similarly, during their meeting, PM Oli and Maldivian President Dr. Muizzu underlined the importance of collaboration at different levels to address the grave challenges posed by climate change, with particular attention to the concerns of mountainous and island nations.

In the meeting with the PM of Vietnam, expanding cooperation in trade and investment, science and technology, innovation, digitalisation, climate change, sports, education, culture, and air connectivity were talked about. 

Likewise, during the talks with Cambodian PM Dr. Manet, they discussed promoting cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, and cultural exchanges. They also agreed to work together in the United Nations and other international forums to advance areas of mutual interest.

At the SCO Summit, which was attended by heads of state and government from member countries, observer states, dialogue partners, and guests, Prime Minister Oli reiterated Nepal’s aspiration for full SCO membership. He emphasised Nepal's support for rule-based multilateralism grounded in connectivity, consultation, and cooperation. Nepal has been a dialogue partner of SCO since 2016.

A fruitful visit, say delegates

Chhabilal Bishwakarma, Secretary of CPN-UML and a member of the delegation, described the visit as highly fruitful, stating that Prime Minister Oli held productive discussions with heads of state and government from five countries. 

He noted that the visit strengthened Nepal’s bilateral ties and elevated Nepal’s presence in the international stage, calling it a moment of pride for all Nepalis.

He further highlighted the significance of Vice President Han Zheng’s assurance that China places Nepal at a high level of priority, which, according to him, shows the depth of the Nepal-China relationship beyond mere formalities.

Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Badri Prasad Pandey, who was also part of the delegation, echoed similar sentiments. He said the visit demonstrated that China highly values Nepal, and that Nepal had a meaningful opportunity to present its perspectives during the summit. He expressed confidence that discussions with various world leaders on tourism, culture, and aviation cooperation would soon yield tangible outcomes.