Nepal-China consultative mechanism meeting beginning on Monday

KATHMANDU Aug, 23: Foreign Secretary Arjun Bahadur Thapa is leaving for Beijing on Friday evening leading a three-member delegation to attend the 10th Meeting of the Bilateral Consultative Mechanism to be held in Beijing, China.



Secretary Thapa is scheduled to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Mr. Liu Zhenmin, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of China on 26 August.



Other members of the delegation include Joint-Secretary Ambika Luintel and Under Secretary Rita Dhital of the Ministry. [break]



The meeting will review pertinent issues in Nepal-China relationship and discuss new directions and dimensions of strengthening bilateral ties.



In the meeting, a whole gamut of issues relating to bilateral relations and other issues of mutual interest will be discussed.



Luintel told RSS that the meeting would also review the implementation part of the agreements of the ninth meeting held in Nepal last year.



The Consultation Mechanism is an agreement between Nepal and China to establish regular contact between officials from the Foreign Ministries of both the countries which was set up in 1996 to provide a platform to discuss matters of mutual concern and cooperation.



Meetings are held alternately in the capital cities on a mutually agreed date. Both the countries have set up three such mechanisms at the level of Foreign Minister, Foreign Secretary and Director General.



During the meeting, discussions would be held on trade and commerce, investments, infrastructure construction and the projects run in Nepal in the Chinese assistance.



Similarly, discussions would be held on ways and means to reduce the huge trade deficit with China, expand Nepali products´ market in China and attract Chinese investment in hydropower and tourism sectors and other potential hydel projects.



Furthermore, the meeting would review the implementation of the agreements signed during Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi´s visit to Nepal held two months ago.



Joint Secretary Luintel said that construction of the Regional International Airport in Pokhara and expediting loan process from Export-Import Bank of China, procurement of aircrafts for Nepal Airlines in concessional loan including grant assistance for two aircraft would also top the agenda for discussions in the meeting.



Meanwhile, talking to RSS, Secretary Thapa refuted the news regarding China´s preparations to establish a consulate in Nepal and urged the concerned sides not to disseminate news in an irresponsible fashion.



"I urge all to disseminate news by considering the seriousness and sensitivity of the issues," Secretary Thapa said.



He was of the view that media should not disseminate news that destabilizes the mutual relations between the two countries.

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