Kathmandu, April 20

Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali today said development of cross-border railways between Nepal and China was a priority of the incumbent government.

Addressing a programme held at Sichuan University in Chengdu of China, Minister Gyawali said the government had been focusing on other infrastructure to boost connectivity.

Stating that the proposed Belt and Road Initiative project encompassed cross-border roads, railways, oil pipelines, information highways, energy grids, skyways and transmission highways, he said such projects would improve quality of the lives of peoples.

“Thanks to the Belt and Road Initiative, the rich history of cultural and commercial exchange between Nepal and China is poised to revive and rejuvenate,” said Gyawali. He appreciated the role of the BRI as an initiative aimed at addressing the infrastructural and structural bottlenecks of development.

“Building cross-border infrastructure is very important for landlocked countries like ours. We expect the Belt and Road Initiative to contribute to our development efforts,” Gyawali stated. He said that the infrastructure thus created would not only raise standards of the people residing in far-flung areas, but also support conservation efforts and help overall development of that region.

According to Gyawali China’s enormous manufacturing base, advanced technology and its huge domestic market together with Nepal’s rich natural, geographical and locational resources, will create the right mix of value chain and complement continued economic growth.

Stating that the government of Nepal is fully committed to providing security to Chinese investors, he requested Chinese investors to utilise investment opportunities in Nepal for mutual benefits.

He said agriculture development and tourism are other areas which had huge scope for co-operation between the two countries. He said Nepal had abundant natural resource endowment and Chinese enterprises had the technological and financial resources.