Nepal team to leave for China Friday to sign fuel trade deal

KATHMANDU: The government is sending a high-level delegation to China to sign a trade deal with the PetroChina company, on Friday.

The seven-member delegation from the Ministry of Commerce and Supply is heading towards the northern neighbour to strike the deal.

Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Supply Shambhu Ghimire is heading the delegation comprising officials of the Nepal Oil Corporation and representatives of the ministries of foreign affairs, law and finance.

The government is sending a high delegation to China in a bid to find an alternative to fuel supply that was hit by India’s unofficial blockade on the country.

China has already agreed to provide essential fuel to Nepal.

Minister for Commerce and Supply Ganesh Man Pun recently had an unofficial visit to China to hold discussions with the Chinese officials about the possibility of fuel supply to Nepal from there.

At a press conference at the Ministry on Thursday, Minister Pun said the high-level delegation was setting out for China Friday to sign a trade deal with the PetroChina.

China has already provided 1.3 million liters of petrol to Nepal in grant assistance.

Nepal Oil Corporation and PetroChina have signed a Memorandum of Understanding MoU on the fuel supply to Nepal and a new deal is going to be sealed on the same.

It may be noted that the Tatopani Customs Point linking Nepal with Tibet of China was affected by the April 25 earthquake and has been partially resumed. The government has already requested the Chinese side for help to open the point in full-fledged.

China has decided to supply fuel to Nepal at an existing price. There will be no difference in the prices of fuel to be imported from China and India, Minister Pun said on the occasion.