KATHMANDU- Minister for Foreign Affairs, Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, has said that the feasibility study of Kathmandu-Kerung railway project will begin soon.
Addressing a webinar organized by the Tribhuvan University, Foreign Minister Gyawali said that the pre-feasibility survey of the much-awaited cross-border railway project has already been completed.
He, however, did not disclose when the feasibility study will start.
According to Minister Gyawali, Nepal has taken a policy to diversify its connectivity with other countries.
“For a landlocked country like Nepal, connectivity is very important. The government’s policy is to diversify the connectivity,” said Foreign Minister Gyawali. “The pre-feasibility survey of Kathmandu-Kerung [railway project] has already been completed. The feasibility study will begin soon,” he said.
The cross-border railway connecting Nepal with its northern neighbor is a much-awaited project in Nepal.
Though difficult terrains separate Nepal and China, there would not be any border problem due to the development of technology, he said.
Stating that there have been important high-level visits and agreements between Nepal and China in recent time, he said that they have helped in taking China-Nepal relations to a new high.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s China trips in 2016 and 2018, Nepal signing up for Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2017 and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Nepal visit were important milestones in Nepal-China relation, according to Minister Gyawali.
“The agreement that Nepal and China signed during Chinese President Xi Jinping visit in 2019 has made Nepal and China strategic partners for prosperity and development,” he said, adding that the implementation of the agreement has been a priority for the government.
He also expressed worries over the recent trade tension between China and the US as well as dispute between China and India over border issues.
