Kathmandu, December 17

Chinese Vice-Minister for Agriculture Qu Dongyu has said Beijing was ready to help Nepal ease the ongoing fuel crisis.

During his meeting with Minister for Commerce and Supplies on the sidelines of the 10th Ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation in Nairobi of Kenya yesterday, Vice-Minister Qu also assured of easing supplies by upgrading bilateral border transit routes.

According to Nepal’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, Minister Pun, during the meeting, had requested the Chinese official to resume all major bilateral entry points as early as possible.

According to a statement issued by the Nepali mission, the two ministers also discussed expansion of the trade and transit, and export of agricultural products to China and Tibet.

Meanwhile, Minister Pun told the Indian side that the ongoing disruption of supplies through Birjung-Raxaul crossing point has not only created a humanitarian crisis in Nepal, but also severely affected bilateral trade and the lives of millions of people across the borders.

Seeking India’s help for easing supplies, he also told Indian Minister of State for Commerce, Nirmala Sitharaman, that the bilateral trade and transit should not be affected on ground of political situation in Nepal.

Pun also drew the attention of Indian State Minister towards continued disruption of supplies that had created severe shortages of fuel, medicines and foods, thereby crippling the life of people. Minister Pun also assured of full security to Indian cargoes entering Nepal.

During the meeting, Sitharaman agreed that the ongoing disruption of supplies through bilateral crossing points was not in the interest of both the countries and stated she would take up the Nepali side’s concerns with the Indian government.