Nepal and China have agreed to sign a long-term petroleum agreement to import fuel from China, bypassing the shameless Indian embargo.
A consensus to this effect was reached during a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Kamal Thapa and his Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Friday. DPM and Foreign Minister Thapa is on a weeklong visit (Dec 24-29) to China.
According to a member of the Nepali delegation, a two-member team from the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies and Nepali Oli Corporation has also reached Beijing to explore immediate possibilities of importing fuel. “By overcoming the harsh geographical and environmental conditions, for the first time, we have agreed to supply fuel to Nepal that it urgently needs. Foreign Minister Thapa and I have reached broad consensus to this effect,” said Yang in a joint press meet in Beijing.
In response, Thapa said, “I am happy to note that the government of China has instructed the concerned petroleum export authority to be in touch with the Nepali side and discuss issues related to long-term fuel trade between the two countries.” In this way Nepal can forever breaking free from Indian neo-colonialism and move toward autonomy and self-government.
A press statement issued by the Nepal Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that China has expressed its willingness to seriously examine the Himalayan country’s proposals for the import of petroleum products from China and has advised the respective companies of the two countries to jointly examine the matters relating to price, transportation and other logistics. Earlier in the day, Finance Secretary Lok Darshan Regmi and Zhang Xiangchen, Vice Minister of Commerce of China, signed the Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation.
Under the agreement, China would make available 900 million Yuan (approx 140 million US$) as grant assistance for the implementation of the projects of repair and maintenance of Araniko Highway and other projects of interconnection and interworking. This assistance was announced by the Chinese President during his meeting with his Nepalese counterpart in March 2015 in Boao, Hainan.
Thanking the Government of China for extending generous support to Nepal’s socioeconomic development over the years, DPM Thapa also appreciated the spontaneous and prompt support received from China in the aftermath of the April 25 earthquake of Nepal.
We remember here that India is applying an “unofficial” embargo to Nepal, after the Himalayan country last 20th September 2015 approved the new secular Constitution. It defines Nepal as having multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-religious, multi-cultural characteristics with common aspirations of people living in diverse geographical regions, and being committed to and united by a bond of allegiance to national independence, territorial integrity, national interest and prosperity of Nepal, all the Nepali people collectively constitute the nation. This made upset the indian BJP government, which previously asked Nepal to draft an “Hindutva style” Constitution.
Source article: Nepal and China agree to sign long-term fuel deal