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Nepal urges China to expand railway network to more border points: official

Xinhua, September 26, 2016 Adjust font size:

Nepal has requested China to consider expanding its railway network to different border points besides the planned expansion to Kerung (Geelong port), said a senior official of Nepal's Commerce Ministry.

China plans to extend its Qinghai-Tibet Railway network up to Geelong Port, the nearest Chinese town from Nepal's Rasuwagadhi border point.

"We asked the Chinese authorities in Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) to consider expanding its railway to other border points during the Nepal-Tibet Trade Facilitation Committee meeting held in Lhasa last week," said Rabi Shankar Sainju, a joint secretary of Nepal's Commerce Ministry, who led the Nepali delegation for the talks.

Nepal-Tibet Trade Facilitation Committee is a mechanism formed to promote bilateral trade between Nepal and China's TAR which also works on settling bilateral trade issues.

Its meeting has been taking place every year in each country alternatively.

"We proposed China to consider connecting more border points such as Hilsa, Korala and Kimathanka beside Rasuwagadhi with its railway," said Sainu, adding that such proposal was made considering the ongoing homework to sign the protocol to Nepal-China Transit Transport Agreement signed in March.

During the former Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's visit to China six months ago, the two countries had signed transit agreement which has given Nepal an alternative transit in addition to India.

Nepalese officials believe that more connectivity at border points will give more options for Nepal once the transit agreement is implemented in practice.

As the TAR will be vital for Nepal to use Chinese territory for an access to the sea, Nepal also sought more involvement of local authorities of Tibet in the process of developing the protocol, according to Sainju, who also heads a Nepal government's team to develop the protocol.

During the meeting, the two sides also discussed on establishing border area economic zones on both sides. Enditem