Prez Yadav leaves for China to attend Boao Forum meet

KATHMANUD, March 26: President Dr Ram Baran Yadav has left for the People’s Republic of China on Thursday on an official visit at the invitation of the Government of China.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the President will be visiting Areca Valley Live Museum Cultural Heritage Park and inaugurate the Sino-Nepal Cultural Centre (Nepal Pavilion) in Hainan on March 27.

He will address the Boao Forum for Asia: Annual Conference 2015 on March 28 which is being held at Boao, Hainan Province of China from March 26-29.

During the visit, Dr Yadav will hold separate meetings with Stefan Lofvan, Prime Minister of Sweden and Dr Heinz Fischer, President of the Republic of Austria on March 28.

He is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with his counterpart Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, the same afternoon.

Later, President Yadav is scheduled to grace a banquet hosted by President Xi Jinping.

After the meeting with his Chinese counterpart, the President will leave for Haikou of Hainan province.

The President and his entourage are also scheduled to visit Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China on the way back home. He will be returning to Kathmandu on April 1from Lhasa.

Initiated in 1998 by former President of the Philippines Fidel V. Ramos, former Prime Minister of Australia Bob Hawke and former Prime Minister of Japan Morihiro Hosokawa, the Boao Forum for Asia, committed to promoting regional economic integration and bringing Asian countries even closer to their development goals, was formally inaugurated in February 2001.

The BFA is modeled after the World Economic Forum held annually in Davos, Switzerland. It has its fixed address in Boao, Hainan, China, although the Secretariat is based in Beijing.

The annual conference, under the theme of “Asia’s New Future: Towards a Community of Common Destiny,” will discuss macro economy, regional development, industry transformation, technological innovation, politics and security.

The 18-member delegation led by President Yadav comprises Anita Yadav, daughter of President Dr Yadav, Dr Narayan Khadka, Minister for Urban Development, Surya Prasad Dhungel and Hari Sharma, advisors of the President, Anup Kumar Upadhyay, Secretary at the Office of the President, Mahesh Kumar Maskey, Nepal’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, Shanker Das Bairagi, acting Foreign Secretary, Lalit Bahadur Basnet, personal Secretary to the President, Dr Yadav Kumar Deo Bhatta, personal Physician of the President, Arjun Kant Mainali, Chief of Protocol and Jhabindra Aryal, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The President was seen off at the Tribhuvan International Airport by Vice-president Paramananda Jha, Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, Deputy Prime Ministers Bamdev Gautam and Prakash Man Singh, Ministers, the Chief Secretary Lila Mani Paudel, foreign ambassadors to Nepal, diplomats and high ranking government officials. On the occasion, a contingent of Nepal Army presented a guard of honour.