By Our Reporter
State Councilor and Defense Minister of China General Wei Fenghe paid a working visit to Nepal on Sunday.
Although Wei spent only a few hours in Kathmandu, it was an important visit. Again, he was the high-level Chinese leader to pay a visit to Nepal in a year after the historical visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping last year.
During his visit, the Chinese Defense Minister paid a courtesy call to President Bidya Devi Bhandari, held a meeting with Prime Minister and Defense Minister KP Sharma Oli and met with army chief Purna Chandra Thapa.
Wei also emphasized the timely execution of agreements and protocols signed by the two countries in the past.
During his call on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli at the latter’s residence in Baluwatar, he said that his visit was aimed at implementing the bilateral agreements made by the head of states and head of governments of the two neighbours in the past.
Earlier speaking after his welcome by Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa at the Tribhuvan International Airport, he had said that his visit was to enhance the bilateral military assistance and strengthen the relations between the two countries.
Prime Minister Oli told the visiting guest that Nepal accorded high importance to its relations with the northern neighbour and expressed commitment to implement various agreements and consensuses made in the past.
Nepal and China have signed agreement and understandings on developing cross-border connectivity including railways, transmission lines, petroleum pipelines and information network, implementing Trade and Transit Agreement and its Protocol, conducting a feasibility study for the Keyrung-Kathmandu Railway and Kathmandu-Pokhara-Lumbini Railway projects.
China has allowed Nepal to use its seven different ports to increase Nepal’s access to third-country markets but lack of cross-border transport infrastructure had become a major hurdle in utilising this facility.
China has pledged to develop cross-border connectivity as well as trade infrastructure at Rasuwagadhi and Tatopani border points with China. It has agreed to upgrade the quake-damaged Arniko Highway and newly built Rasuwagadhi-Syaphrubensi road.
Wai had arrived in Nepal on Sunday leading a 21-member delegation for a one-day ‘working visit’. Wei was welcomed by Minister Thapa, Secretary of the Home Ministry Reshmi Raj Pandey, Lieutenant General of Nepal Army Prabhu Ram Sharma, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Hou Yanqi, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kali Prasad Pokharel and other dignitaries.
During a meeting with Chief of Army Staff General Purna Chandra Thapa the two sides discussed various issues of bilateral interest including the resumption of training and student exchange programme and follow up on defense assistance that have been impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said the NA in a statement.
“General Wei and the delegation viewed both the proposals positively and affirmed that the bilateral cooperation should resume as soon as possible, including the exchange of high-level visits. General Wei also pledged to provide additional assistance to the Nepali Army in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic,” read the statement.
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