Nepal seeks Chinese help for East-West High Hill road
KATHMANDU, SEP 19 -
Nepal has asked China to help build the 1,776-km East-West High Hill Highway that will run across the country.
During talks with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jeichi in Beijing on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha formally requested Chinese assistance for the ambitious infrastructure project that is estimated to cost Rs 43 billion.
The highway will pass through 12 zones, 24 districts and 215 villages and will serve nearly seven million people. The project is considered a major 'strategic' road project currently envisioned by the government.
In the meeting held at Yang's office, the foreign ministers discussed a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues where Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai's possible visit to China also figured. Shrestha conveyed that the Nepali side was ready for the visit and asked Yang to undertake necessary preparations for the PM's early visit. However, an official date has yet to be fixed.
"I had a fruitful and productive meeting with Minister Yang. We discussed five areas of cooperation with him and proposed Chinese assistance for the East-West Hill Highway," said Shrestha from Beijing over the phone.
Kathmandu and Beijing have identified five areas of cooperation: trade, infrastructure, tourism, investment and Nepal's socio-economic development.
The foreign ministers discussed and reviewed the status of China-funded projects like the West Seti Hydropower Project, the Pokhara Regional Airport and the construction of Special Economic Zones. DPM Shrestha also asked the Chinese side to allow Nepali products at zero tariffs into its market, sought Chinese help to set up quarantine facilities along the Nepal-China border and requested that Hong Kong relax visas for Nepalis.
The foreign ministers also discussed the prospects of signing a Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement with China. DPM Shrestha asserted that Nepal wants to build "a sovereign economy owned by Nepalis themselves" while remaining open to foreign capital, as China had done with its economy.
On Nepal's current political deadlock, Minister Yang said, "The Nepali people and the political parties are capable of carving out a new constitution. We respect and uphold Nepal's sovereignty and its territorial integrity."
DPM Shrestha reiterated Nepal's firm stand on the One-China policy.
Minister Shrestha is in Beijing to inaugurate a Nepali cultural festival.
Source: The Kathmandu Post
