KATHMANDU, April 23:  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been urged to take high-level diplomatic efforts to reopen the Kimathanka transit point along the Nepal-China border in Sankhuwasabha district. 

A delegation led by Nepali Congress Sankhuwasabha district president and House of Representatives (HoR) member Deepak Khadka on Sunday called on Minister for Foreign Affairs, Narayan Prakash (NP) Saud and urged him for the initiative to this end. 

During the meeting, the lawmaker said, "It takes around seven days from the district headquarters of Sankhuwasabha, Khandbari, to reach Kimathanka point and it is additionally challenging to transport foodstuff to the area during the rainy season.  The Kimathanka folks are highly likely to suffer from the shortage of food during the monsoon." 

He added that it would be convenient for the Kimathanka folks if they could import goods from China. The transit point has remained closed since the Covid-19 pandemic in China. 

According to lawmaker Khadka, the entire Koshi Province could benefit from the Kimathanka point if it was reopened and the matter should be the special concern of the government. 

Province Assembly member from Sankhuwasabha, Rajendra Karki, said the closure of the Kimathanka point has its significant implications on the life at Bhotkhola rural municipality which is home to 6,000 people. The delegation said that the resumption of the border point is necessary for the promotion of trade activities in eastern Nepal as well.

In response, the minister said the matter of reopening the Kimathanka point is the top priority of the government.  The transit point is significant in view of the bilateral trade relations, according to the foreign minister who told the delegation on the occasion that necessary efforts were going on to re-open it as soon as possible. 

Joint-secretary Lok Bahadur Thapa assured that transit points along the Nepal-China border in Sankhuwasabha, Taplejung and Mustang would reopened soon. 

People's representatives in Sankhuwasabha and leaders and party cadres from different parties were in the delegation. 

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