Promises business-friendly environment for Indian investors
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KATHMANDU, Feb 19: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli announced on Thursday that he wouldn't sign any agreement of long-term significance with India saying this was not a right time.
The prime minister said his top priority would be in improving the bilateral relations that have soured since Nepal promulgated new constitution in September last year.
He reiterated that he wouldn't make any compromise mainly on the five fundamental issues that are territorial integrity, national sovereignty, national interest, mutual dignity and co-existence. The prime minister assured one and all that he would avoid any deal that may court controversy in the country.
He said that during his consultation with leaders from political parties, foreign affairs experts, former foreign ministers and ambassadors and representatives from various sections of society, he was advised mainly to focus the visit on mending the relations with India. "Based on those suggestions, we have set this agenda as the major objective of the visit," he said.
The prime minister said that the major expectation of Nepal government from the Indian side is friendly relations and friendly behavior toward Nepal and that Nepal offers the same to India.
He said the government of Nepal believed in honesty and friendship more than diplomacy and in better behavior more than refined languages. "We will present ourselves [before Indian side] accordingly," he said.
The prime minister said his focus would also be to attract Indian investors to Nepal making it clear that the government of Nepal would remove all the hassles to create business-friendly environment.
"We will tell Indian entrepreneurs that government will ensure them easy, straightforward legal arrangements, security and an investment-friendly environment in Nepal," he said. "Because, the present slow pace of development isn't acceptable and we must speed up the development activities."
During his briefing, the prime minister repeatedly stated that he was invited on a state visit to highlight that India was giving his visit high importance.
He argued that there was no need to split hairs over whether or not India explicitly welcomed Nepal's new constitution.
"There is no point in disputing over the wordings because India has already invited the same prime minister, who was elected in accordance with the same constitution, for a state visit," he argued. "And, India has already welcomed the amendment to the same constitution."
