Nepal to give special emphasis to mutual contact: Dr Mahat

Special Correspondent Krishna Adhikari:

Goa (India), Oct 16: Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has said the BRICS-BIMSTEC outreach summit could be utilized as an important opportunity to include Nepal’s national interest and concern in the international forum.

Talking to RSS here today, Minister Dr Mahat said Nepal has given special emphasis to mutual contact between the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) member states. “As chair of BIMSTEC, Nepal will discuss ways to make this regional bloc stronger”, he said. Nepal is hosting the next BIMSTEC summit.

The joint declaration to be issued by the summit is also expected to make BIMSTEC stronger by addressing matters relating to climate change, sustainable development goals, problems of landlocked countries, joint fight against terrorism, minimizing poverty and promoting tourism among others.

The summit, he said, would decide on institutionalising and uniting BRICS, implementing past agreements, finding new ways for cooperation and continuing institutionalised activities.

Briefing by Prime Minister Dahal about Nepal and his meetings with heads of various participating countries would help share Nepal’s perspectives, said Dr Mahat, adding that the opportunities would be utilised for the development of the country by expanding relations with the participating countries.

He also shared that Chinese President Xi told, following a meeting with Nepal’s PM Dahal, that he would visit Nepal soon.

The statement from the Chinese President that he would be visiting Nepal soon in an appropriate time has cleared off the doubts about the visit, Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Mahat said, adding that he was fully confident that the Chinese President’s Nepal visit would take place soon.

Promotion of tourism, infrastructure development, expansion of transport network, trade and transport were others matters of discussions of the meeting. On the occasion, the Prime Minister pledged to enforce the agreements reached with China.

The Chinese President suggested that Nepal should enforce its new constitution with internal unity and integrity.
Likewise, during his meeting his Bhutanese counterpart Tshring Tobgay, the Prime Minister stressed the need of developing the Nepal-Bhutan relations through a new way with addressing the longstanding refugees’ problem soon, Minister Mahat said. RSS