Prez Bhandari paying state visit to China on April 24: MoFA

KATHMANDU, April 19: President Bidya Devi Bhandari will pay a state visit to China on April 24 at the invitation of her counterpart Xi Jinping, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).

President Bhandari is scheduled to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to be held in Beijing and address the Forum. She will also attend the banquet hosted by Chinese President Jinping. She will then attend the opening ceremony of International Horticultural Exhibition and visit Nepali pavilion there, stated the ministry in a press release on Friday.

The forum, themed “Belt and Road Cooperation, Shaping a Brighter Shared Future”, will be held from April 24 to 27. The forum will be attended a total of 37 heads of state or government and other leaders from Austria, Egypt, Italy and Laos. France, Germany, the UK, Spain, Japan, South Korea and the EU will send high-level representatives to the forum.

Prez Bhandari will also attend the reception hosted by the Embassy of Nepal in Beijing.

On her way to Beijing, Bhandari will visit Xian, the capital of Shaanxi Province. She will also visit Lhasa, the capital of Tibet on her way back—where she will pay visit to the provincial leaders, according to the ministry.

President Bhandari is expected to sign at least half a dozen of agreements during the visit.

Bhandari will be accompanied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Chief Minister of Province 3 Dor Mani Paudel, members of federal parliament, high-ranking government officials, Ambassador of Nepal to China Lila Mani Paudel and representatives of private sector and media persons.

She will return home on May 2.