KATHMANDU: An agreement has been reached to fully resume bilateral trade and people movement through the Rasuwagadhi-Kyirong border from April 1.
According to the Nepalese Consulate General in China, the agreement was reached at the first meeting of the Nepal-China Coordination Mechanism on Border Trade and Cooperation, which took place on Wednesday in Lhasa, Tibet.
The delegations from Nepal and China were led by Chen Yongqi, Executive Vice-Chair of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) government, and Madhu Kumar Marasini, Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supplies.
People’s movement was resumed, trade facilitation, customs cooperation, the development of infrastructure related to trade, and border trade and cooperation were all topics of discussion.
In response to Nepal’s request, the Chinese side has agreed to take into account the construction of a multifaceted lab along the Nepal-China border.
The Nepalese Consulate General reports that the Chinese side has also pledged to open seasonal trade transit points.
Secretary Marasini emphasized the importance of starting up the Kathmandu-Lhasa direct flight and urged the Chinese side to do so quickly.
Both parties emphasized the importance of intensifying their cooperation in order to raise the standard of living for those residing in neighboring districts of Nepal’s northern mountainous region.
In a similar vein, both parties concurred to rename the Nepal-China Joint Pandemic Prevention and Control Mechanism as the Nepal-China Cooperation Mechanism related to Border Trade and Cooperation.
Similarly, Secretary Marasini visited Yan Jinhai, the head of government for the Tibet Autonomous Region, today.
Discussions on a range of topics, including the promotion of bilateral economic cooperation and shared interests, took place on this occasion.
This evening, Chairperson Yan hosted a dinner reception in honor of the visiting Nepali delegation.