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Nepal asks China for Lhasa-Lumbini railway

Zee News

Qinghai-Tibet Railway was inaugurated on 1 July 2006. The railway of 1,142 kilometres connect Golmud in Qinghai province to Lhasa.File photo/Photographer unknown/China

Nepal has asked China to extend rail connectivity from Lhasa in Tibet to Lumbini, the birth place of Lord Buddha, passing through Kathmandu, as the two countries decided to enhance bilateral trade.

Prime Minister Prachanda and visiting Chinese Assistant Minister for Commerce Chen Jian discussed various issues, including water resources management, constructing outer Ring Road in Kathmandu, enhancing bilateral trade and linking Kathmandu and Tibet with railway line.

“Chinese assistant minister responded positively to the request (rail connectivity), saying his government was committed to extending necessary support to Nepal,” Nepalese official daily ‘The Rising Nepal’ reported.

During the meeting yesterday, Prachanda sought Beijing’s help to minimise Nepal’s trade deficit with China,

The Prime Minister also urged the visiting Chinese Assistant Minister to waive tariff on some 300 Nepalese items to enable Nepal to increase its export to China.

The Chinese Assistant Minister’s visit comes close on the heels of Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zegyue’s visit to Nepal, during which he handed over a draft of Nepal China Friendship Treaty to Nepalese officials.

The Chinese delegation arrived in Kathmandu on Sunday on a four day visit to Nepal in connection with the upcoming meeting of Nepal-China Inter-Governmental Economic and Trade Committee.

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Published in Zee News.com