Kathmandu, September 8 Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who is currently on an official visit to China, met Minister of International Department of the Communist Party of China Song Tao in Beijing this morning. During the meeting, matters related to the promotion of people-to-people contact between the two countries were discussed, according to a statement issued by the Embassy of Nepal in Beijing. Following the meeting, DPM Mahara delivered a lecture on ‘Nepal-China Relations for Trans-Himalayan Development’ at China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing in the afternoon. Stating that Nepal and China were close friends with civilisational linkages, Mahara said China’s Belt and Road Initiative would be helpful in reviving Nepal as a vibrant trade entrepôt. In his lecture, DPM Mahara said development of infrastructure, improvement of physical connectivity, fair trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people relations were some of the areas in which Nepal had vital interest. “The most important expectation of Nepali people is their strong desire to realise the construction of railways linking Nepal’s major cities with the northern border. I hope this is a genuine demand and can be fulfilled with Chinese resources and state-of-the-art technology,” he said. Stating that connectivity is a key enabler for development, Mahara said building cross-border railways, transmission lines, new roadways, transit corridors and info-ways would go a long way in transforming Nepal’s development landscape. “Connectivity and transit transport facilities means a lot to a landlocked country like Nepal. In 2016, we signed Agreement on Transit Transport. Recently, we have started substantial work on the conclusion of its protocol,” he said, adding the two sides had agreed to open, improve and upgrade border points, and resumption of Tatopani/Zhangmu border point at the earliest was their priority. In the evening, Mahara inaugurated the newly-launched website of the Embassy of Nepal in Beijing. DPM Mahara will leave for Xibaipo in Hebei Province tomorrow morning, where he will meet provincial leaders. Later in the day, he will reach Guangzhou where he is scheduled to inaugurate the chancery of the Consulate General of Nepal on Sunday, meet with provincial leaders and address the business community. DPM Mahara is scheduled to return home on Monday.