New Nepali FM says to give top priority to ties with China, India

Newly appointed Nepali Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat said Friday that top priority will be given to enhancing relations and trust with China and India in the new government's foreign policy.

The foreign minister made the remarks to reporters shortly after assuming office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He said the government wants to have cordial ties with neighboring and other friendly countries to promote mutual beneficial cooperation.

"Neighboring China and India are two very important countries in our foreign relations," the minister said, adding that Nepal wants to strengthen and expand its ties with both neighbors "based on mutual trust and cooperation."

Addressing a separate program at the ministry on the same day, the foreign minister expressed the hope that high-level exchange of visits between China and Nepal as well as India and Nepal will take place in the near future.

The new foreign minister, 57, belongs to the Nepali Congress, the country's largest party in the Parliament. He served as the state minister for foreign minister from 2004 to 2005.

Mahat, also a three-time lawmaker, went on to be the minister for energy from 2009 to 2011. Endit