Himalayan News Service

Lalitpur, May 1:

Direct passenger bus service from Kathmandu to Lhasa began from today.

Minister for Labour and Transport Management, Ram Narayan Chaudhary, and Chinese ambassador to Nepal, Sun Heping, jointly inaugurated the service on the premises of the Sajha Yatayat at Pulchowk.

Around 40 people, including nine government officials, left for Lhasa in a luxury bus of the Sajha Yatayat.

They attended a welcome ceremony at Miteri Pul at the Nepal-China border this afternoon.

Calling it a historic moment, minister Chaudhary said the bus service has become an additional tie of friendship between Nepal and China.

He also talked about the possibility of developing Nepal as a transit point for trade between China and India.

“I believe that the initiation of bilateral bus service will further consolidate and develop Nepal-China cooperation in the fields of economy, tourism and culture and strengthen the traditional friendship between the two countries,” said Chinese ambassador Sun Heping.

“With the joint efforts of our governments and people, I am confident that there will be a broad prospect for further cooperation in all the fields.”

Chairman of the board of directors of the Sajha Yatayat, Purushottam Ojha, said Nepal can extend its trade and business activities to the mainland China once China’s railway service reaches Lhasa in 2006.

“As Tibet is a very old destination for Nepali businessmen, transportation service will play an important role to promote business and other economic activities between the two regions,” he added.