Hetauda, October 30:

Russian ambassador to Nepal, Andrey L Trofimov has said the Russian government is to assist Nepal in poverty alleviation, making tourism sector self-reliant and in constructing roads and tunnels for transportation.

He was speaking at an interaction ‘Potentials of Nepal-Russia Economic Development’, organised by Makwanpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Russian Federation and Nepal. Trofimov said Russia is ready to assist in industrialising the country and in establishing mining and gas industries in Nepal.

He said Russia is also positive about educating technical manpower but the government of Nepal should mobilise people from rural areas. Parliamentarian Bir Bahadur Lama urged the need of construction of express a tunnel road connecting Kathmandu to Terai. “If the tunnel road is constructed to connect Pharping in Kathmandu to Terai via Hetauda, it will boost the economy of the country,” he said.

The National Planning Commission (NPC) has been making relentless efforts in formulating strategies to involve private investors to construct highways, increase industrial production, and develop industries and tourism sector in order to boost the economy of the nation, said Dr Pusparaj Rajkarnikar, member of NPC.

Hiranya Lal Shrestha, former Nepalese ambassador to Russian Federation, opined that FNCCI should take steps to involve Russian private investors to construct the link highway that connects India as well as Terai to Kathmandu.