Nepali, Chinese delegations engage in meeting on sidelines of IPU Assembly in Tanzania

Kathmandu, Oct 6: The Nepali delegation attending the 153rd Assembly of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Tanzania held a meeting with a Chinese delegation on the sidelines of the event. The Nepali delegation is headed by Speaker Dol Prasad (DP) Aryal.

The Assembly is being held from October 5 to 9 in Arusha, Tanzania. The discussion centered on matters relating to further strengthening of warm, cordial and friendly relations between the peoples of Nepal and China, as well as the bilateral parliamentary relations.

During the meeting, the Speaker said that Nepal-China relations are based on the principles of close friendship, good neighborliness, mutual respect and the Panchsheel (the five principles of peaceful co-existence), according to his secretariat. The Speaker also reaffirmed Nepal’s commitment to the ‘One China Policy’ and will not allow Nepali territory to be used for any anti-China activities.

He extended his gratitude for China’s support in transforming Nepal from a landlocked country to a ‘land-linked’ country, echoing the need to make development cooperation between the two countries more effective, according to the secretariat. Grieving the loss of life and property caused by recent floods and landslides in Rasuwa, he expressed his condolences to the families of those Chinese citizens missing in the disaster.

Speaker Aryal thanked the Chinese government for providing Nepal with the emergency financial support, humanitarian aid and search and rescue facilitation during the disaster. It is noted that China had provided equipment, technical and expertise support including, in tunnel rescue, forensic test and DNA identification in the disaster-response efforts.

Speaker Aryal expressed his confidence that the parliamentary friendship group established between the two countries and the inter-parliamentary cooperation agreement between the House of Representatives and the National People’s Congress of China will further strengthen parliamentary exchanges and mutual understanding, according to the secretariat. —