Kathmandu, October 15

Chinese President Xi Jinping today stressed on internal unity among Nepali stakeholders for  effective implementation of the constitution.

During a meeting with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Goa, the Chinese president also wished success in the execution of the charter, according to Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat, who was present during the meeting.

The Chinese leader was responding to PM Dahal who had apprised him of efforts to take all stakeholders on board to politically resolve the issues related to the constitution.

Mahat told The Himalayan Times over phone from Goa that Prime Minister Dahal also renewed his invitation to the Chinese president to visit Nepal.

“President Xi has expressed readiness to visit Nepal at the ‘earliest convenient date’, Mahat told THT.

During the meeting, the Chinese side stressed the much-talked about trilateral-cooperation among China, Nepal, and India for development of the region, and assured Beijing’s readiness to open up more ports of entry for Nepal, Mahat added.

“They (the two leaders) talked about promoting cooperation for development in infrastructure, connectivity, trade and transit,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted.

The Nepali side said that Nepal was ready to implement the understandings and agreements inked between the two countries during former prime minister KP Sharma Oli’s visit to Beijing in March, a Nepali official who was present at the meeting, told THT.

A number of deals, including use of Chinese roads, rails, and ports — as part of a transit and transport deal — were inked during Oli’s visit.

Dahal shared Nepal’s readiness to be part of China’s flagship ‘One Belt and One Road’ initiative, which is considered President Xi’s brainchild.

He also reiterated Nepal’s firm commitment to the One-China policy and assured that Nepali soil wouldn’t be allowed to be used against Chinese interests, the official added.

It is learnt that the Chinese side expressed concern about signing the agreement on mutual legal assistance and extradition treaty, sources said.

Meanwhile PM Dahal also held a meeting with his Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay in Goa.

According to Mahat, Dahal pressed him for the repatriation of the remaining Bhutanese refugees who didn’t opt for the third-country resettlement programme.

Earlier, Minister of State for External Affairs of India, MJ Akbar had received PM Dahal upon his arrival at Goa airport, where he had reached by a special flight of Air India from New Delhi.

“A warm welcome to Pushpa Kamal Dahal to India. His visit will further strengthen India-Nepal ties,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.

After receiving invitation from his Indian counterpart, Dahal had left Kathmandu for Goa early this morning.

BRICS is a group of five emerging economic powers: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, whose leaders’ 8th annual meeting is being held in Goa on October 15 and 16.

Following the BRICS Summit tomorrow, an outreach summit along with BIMSTEC leaders will be held, where leaders of the two groupings will dwell on enhancing cooperation in multiple areas between BRICS and BIMSTEC.

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation is an inter-governmental organisation and Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand are its members.