Finance Minister Janardan Sharma was paid a courtesy call by Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Hou Yanqi on Friday.
During the meeting at the ministry, FM Sharma urged China to assist in the procurement process of vaccines against COVID-19 as it was a priority of the government.
He thanked China for providing 1.8 million doses of vaccines as well as its past supports in the post-quake reconstruction and other development works. Nepal is in the process of receiving additional 1.6 million doses of vaccines from China. The latter has assisted in the reconstruction of 25 different projects, half of which are completed.
He expressed confidence that the ambassador would assist and facilitate the process to purchasing more vaccines from China.
FM Sharma also expressed commitment of the government to monitoring and facilitating the implementation of various projects, such as road, hydropower and airport, implemented in Nepal with Chinese support and resolve the problems.
Ambassador Hou congratulated the newly appointed Finance Minister and said that no matter which government comes, the Chinese policy and attitude towards Nepal would not change. She said that China was with Nepal in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Hou also paid a courtesy call on Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal also today.
During the meeting, Hou said that Nepal is a country with immense potential in energy and stressed on the need for moving forward with cooperation between the two neighbours.
Stating that Chinese companies have good experience in the field of hydropower, she informed that they are willing to invest in Nepal.
Chinese Power Construction Company has been working in several projects, including Upper Tamakoshi and Trishuli-3 A in Nepal, she said, and stressed on the need to move ahead by resolving the problems seen in those projects.
She urged the government to be flexible on some administrative issues as the new policy brought by the government of Nepal has not been implemented.
In response, Minister Bhusal said that efforts would be made to solve the problems seen in the construction of hydropower projects and transmission projects being built with Chinese support.
She stressed the need for studying and implementing the proposal sent by Nepal on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Stating that Nepali students studying higher studies in China had to return home due to COVID-19, Minister Bhusal made a request to make arrangements for those students to complete their studies.
Source : TRN,
