Nepal PM departs for China to attend SCO Summit in Tianjin

Kathmandu [Nepal], August 30 (ANI): Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli departed for a five-day visit to China on Saturday morning for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit 2025.

Oli, leading a delegation from Nepal, departed from the VVIP terminal of the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu for a five-day visit to China's Tianjin.

The troupe of the Nepal Army and the musical band of the Nepal Police gave a guard of honour as the Prime Minister departed for the entourage of the Northern neighbour.

During the visit to Tianjin, the Nepali Prime Minister will hold a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, along with other state leaders.

In his address ahead of the visit on Friday, the Prime Minister laid out details of his bilateral engagements during the Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and its sidelines, where he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, among other leaders from various countries.

But the Nepali Prime Minister didn't mention the meeting with Indian Prime Minister Modi, in the wake of the recent India-China agreement on reopening a trade route through the Lipulekh pass.

Following the India-China agreement on Lipulekh, signed in New Delhi on August 18, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press statement on August 20. It reaffirmed that the official map of Nepal, as incorporated in the Constitution of Nepal, includes Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh, and Kalapani--located east of the Mahakali river--as integral parts of Nepal.

On the same day, the Indian External Affairs Ministry issued a statement asserting that border trade between India and China through the Lipulekh pass commenced in 1954 and has been ongoing for decades. This trade had been disrupted in recent years due to the Covid pandemic and other developments, and both sides have now agreed to resume it, it said.

Oli, in his address on Friday, apprised the parliament that "the main objective of the China visit is to participate in the SCO Summit being held in the city of Tianjin."

Established in 2001, SCO has now developed into one of the world's largest regional organisations. Its full member states include China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Iran. Belarus, Afghanistan and Mongolia are observer states.

Along with Nepal, countries such as Turkey, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the Maldives, Myanmar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates are dialogue partners of the SCO.

"Nepal has been a dialogue partner of the organisation since 2016. Our goal is to enhance Nepal's level of participation in the organisation, clearly present Nepal's perspectives and priorities on contemporary regional and international matters, and promote Nepal's national interests by gaining maximum benefit from the engagement," the prime minister told parliament on Friday.

According to Oli, so far, bilateral meetings have been confirmed with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

On September 1, Oli and the Nepali delegation will participate in the SCO Plus Summit, to be held in Tianjin, where he is scheduled to deliver an address.

The prime minister's delegation includes his spouse Radhika Shakya; former deputy prime minister and lawmaker Purna Bahadur Khadka; Minister for Education, Science and Technology Raghuji Pant; Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Badri Prasad Pandey; former Minister and Economic and Development Advisor to the Prime Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada; and lawmaker Chhabilal Bishwakarma, along with senior government officials.

During his five-day visit to China, the Nepali "Prime Minister will also participate in commemorative events to be organised in Beijing to mark the 80th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War on 3 September," a release from Nepal's Foreign Minister had announced.

China has invited Nepal as a dialogue partner nation since 2016, where the Himalayan Nation is seeking an upgrade to either observer or full member status. However, geopolitical complexities have hindered this effort. Full membership would ensure the Nepali Prime Minister's participation in every summit of this major regional bloc and facilitate direct access to leaders from China, Russia, India, Iran, and Central Asian nations.

The Nepali Prime Minister is flying to Tianjin on a chartered flight of Himalaya Airlines, and will thereafter attend the summit from August 31 to September 1. He will travel to Beijing on the evening of September 1 or the morning of September 2.

This is Oli's second visit to China since becoming prime minister for the fourth time in July last year. Earlier, Oli went on an official visit to China from December 2 to 5, 2024. (ANI)

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