China always supportive of Nepal's national integrity: Xi
KATHMANDU, Oct 17: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that Nepal wants to benefit by becoming a dynamic bridge between neighbors India and China.
According to a press note issued by the Prime Minister's Office on Sunday, PM Dahal stressed a tri-nation strategic partnership between Nepal, India and China during a tri-lateral meeting held between Dahal, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian PM Narendra Modi, late Saturday evening in Goa, India.
"I reiterated that a tri-nation strategic partnership is necessary between Nepal, India and China. We are between two large neighbors, India and China. We want to benefit by becoming a dynamic bridge between the two countries," the press note quoted PM Dahal as saying.
"When I stressed the importance of a tri-nation strategic partnership, the Indian prime minister and the Chinese president agreed that the proposal from Nepal is significant," the statement further quoted Dahal as saying.
The top leaders of the three countries met in Goa on the sidelines of the Goa BRICS-BIMSTEC Outreach Summit.
During the meeting, PM Dahal said that Nepal could become a pleasant bridge between India and China in modern times as a link between Nepal, India and China was established by the Buddha, Pashupati and Janaki in the past.
According to the press note, both the leaders said that they were positive over the tri-nation strategic partnership proposed by Nepal.
Chinese President Xi also praised Nepal for maintaining equidistance in its relations with China and India and expressed hope that the tripartite relationship will grow further in future.
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Xi positive on Nepal visit
Prior to the tripartite meeting, PM Dahal and Chinese President Xi held a one-to-one meeting, Saturday evening.
During the meeting, Dahal reiterated the invitation to President Xi to visit Nepal and said he was eager to welcome the Chinese president in Nepal during 2016.
"PM reiterated invitation to the Prez of China to visit Nepal. The Prez expressed readiness to visit Nepal at the earliest convenient date," tweeted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).
According to the PM's Office, President Xi said that his visit to Nepal would be finalized at the diplomatic level.
During the bilateral meeting, Xi also said that China was always positive and supportive towards constitution implementation and the national integrity of Nepal. According to the PM's office, President Xi said that China was ready to provide support in the hydropower, energy and infrastructure sectors.
During the meeting, Dahal requested the Chinese president to initiate operation of the Kerung-Rasuwagadhi border checkpoint, reiterating that Nepal was fully committed to the implementation of the agreements reached between Nepal and China at different points in time.
"They talked about promoting cooperation for development including infrastructure, connectivity, trade and transit," tweeted MoFA about the meeting.
