Cabinet nod to Prez visit for Boao meet

21 Feb 2015, Kathmandu - The Cabinet has given a nod in principle to President Ram Baran Yadav ’s visit to China in March-end for the annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA).

Besides approving the head of state’s second

visit to the northern neighbour, the Cabinet also instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to table a proposal regarding the visit.

“The forthcoming visit of our President to China to attend the Boao forum in the context of the 60th year of establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and China offers greater scope for broadening our friendship with China,” Prime Minister Sushil Koirala said at a programme organised on Wednesday by the Nepal Council of World Affairs.

“This will be an official visit,” said a senior Foreign Ministry official engaged in the preparation of the visit. Though the President is unlikely to visit Beijing, he will have bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders on the sidelines of the conference in Boao. If Yadav visits the conference, this will be Nepal’s first high-level interaction with the new Chinese leadership.

“Arrangements for the visit such as logistics and delegate selection are being made as the Chinese side has offered hospitality only for eight people at the event,” said another source. Nepal had participated in the conference one decade

ago. The annual conference is scheduled to take place from March 26 to 29 in Boao in China’s Hainan province. More than 10 heads of government and state will address the opening session on March 28.

BFA is a non-governmental not-for-profit international organisation committed to the development of Asian nations by promoting regional economic integration.

The forum has been reputed for inviting world leaders and businesspeople to share their knowledge, opinion and views. The last time Nepal participated in the BFA annual conference was in 2005, when ex-king Gyanendra and then deputy chief of the council of ministers, Kirti Nidhi Bista, represented the country. Nepal was not invited in the subsequent years due to internal strife in the country.