KATHMANDU, Nov 28: The ruling Nepali Congress (NC) has sent an additional message to the Prime Minister K P Oli regarding China's ambitious international project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
A meeting held at the residence of party president Sher Bahadur Deuba in Budhanilkantha, attended by the president, vice president, general secretary, current foreign minister Arzu Rana, home minister Ramesh Lekhak, and party spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat, who is also a former foreign minister, sent a message stating that they are willing to accept cooperation under the BRI but without taking loans.
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Party Spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat, who was the foreign minister at the time, stated that there is no ambiguity within the NC regarding taking up the projects under the BRI as an MoU was signed when he was in office. He emphasized that the country should not be put in a position of increasing debt. He mentioned that projects such as tunnels and roads connecting border posts are included, and that these projects can receive ‘grand financing’ along with technical support.
Although the ruling partner NC has made suggestions, it has stated that the decision-making authority on the matter lies with the Prime Minister. Nepal, which gave a theoretical agreement to the BRI in 2014, signed the BRI Framework Agreement on May 12, 2017.
