KATHMANDU, March 14: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is preparing to visit China later next week to participate in the annual conference of Boao Forum for Asia 2017.
According to his personal aides, Prime Minister Dahal has started internal preparations to fly to China on March 24. "The prime minister has received an invitation to address the Conference of the Boao Forum. We have just started internal preparations on the visit," said the prime minister's press advisor Gobinda Acharya.
Although the visit is being made to address the Boao conference that is themed "Globalization and Free Trade-Asian Perspectives", Dahal is likely to make a brief trip to Beijing from Hainan Province and sign over half a dozen major bilateral deals with China.
The 2017 annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia is being held from March 23 to 26 in Boao, South China's Hainan Province. The official opening of the ceremony that is divided into four modules-globalization, growth, reform and new economy -- is scheduled to take place on March 25.
Although the prime minister's press advisor Acharya did not confirm if the prime minister is also flying to Beijing in the course of his visit to Boao Forum, sources said he is very much likely to fly to Beijing and hold meeting with the top Chinese leadership.
Multilateralism at the heart of Boao Forum for Asia
As Beijing visit is likely only if there are some bilateral deals with China, the prime minister has expedited consultations to seal deals on the issues related to trade and connectivity and other infrastructure projects. A number of bilateral agreements that were agreed in principle, are currently awaiting formal signing.
DPM Nidhi leaves for India
Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bimalendra Nidhi left for India on Monday to participate in a meeting on combating terrorism. The meeting is scheduled to begin Tuesday.
Minister Nidhi is scheduled to hold meetings with top Indian leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh, Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Amit Shah, Indian Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi during his stay in New Delhi.
Minister Nidhi's visit comes in the wake of Nepal preparing to hold local level polls, putting on hold the constitution amendment. Minister Nidhi is scheduled to apprise Indian leadership of the political development taking place in Nepal.
Officials at the home ministry said Minister Nidhi during his meeting with Indian Union Home Minister Singh, will also take up last week's killing of Nepali youth by Indian SSB in Kanchanpur district.
