Kathmandu, May 24 :

Russian and UN official have shown interest in Kathmandu-Hetauda Fast Track Road (KHFTR).

The road has become more significant in the context of Nepal being developed as a transit point between India and China.

Prof Hocor B, senior official at the UNESCAP office located in Bangkok, while talking to the Nepali entrepreneurs in Russia recently said, “For Nepal’s economic development, the UN is

very much interested in supporting it.” It has shown interest in feasibility study of the Kathmandu-Hetauda Fast Track Road (KHFTR), which needs to be developed through public-private partnership approach to make it sustainable.

Kush Kumar Joshi, second vice-president of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), who led the delegation to Russia informed that Russian investors had shown interest in investing in our Kathmandu-Hetauda Fast Track Road project.

Joshi led 25-member delegation of businessmen associated with Makwanpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI). During the visit of Nepali businessmen in Russia, Joshi said, the discussion was held at length with Russian businessmen to develop and declare Makwanpur district as an Industrial district as it has huge potential.

Russian businesspersons had also shown interest to invest in Kathmandu-Hetauda Fast Track Road to make easy access to Makwanpur and fuel investment opportunities, Joshi informed.

Kathmandu-Hetauda Fast Track Road is taken as one of the components of Asian Highway, in which UNESCAP had shown interest, according to the participants.

Dipak Prasad Shrestha, president of MCCI said that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed with Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Ivanov Region of Russia in an attempt to boost trade and economic activities between the two countries.

As per the agreement, both chambers are authorised to take up the issues of bilateral trade and economy with their respective governments.

Pre-feasibility studies of KHFTR have already done by Switzerland, Italy, Japanese and Finland. Feasibility study is yet to be done despite its huge scope, said businesspersons. Upendra Mahato, president of Non-Resident Nepal (NRN), International Coordination Committee also present during the meeting.