BRI is not implemented without detailed discussion: Foreign Affairs Minister

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Arzu Rana Deuba said that discussion on the modality of the operation and implementation of the BRI project was still ongoing and no decision was made towards this end.

Newly appointed Minister Rana clarified so while responding to the queries posed by the parliamentarians in the meeting of International Affairs and Tourism Committee of the Federal Parliament today.

Parliamentarians had questioned the Minister that in which modality the Chinese project -Belt and Road Initiatives (BRI) – would be operated, and whether as a grant or loan.

Minister Rana said, “The Government of Nepal has already signed the ‘framework document’ of this project. No decisions have been made as to how would it be operated and implemented, whether as a grant or loan. We will hold massive discussions with all sides on just like the MCC project was endorsed by the parliament after broad discussion with everyone.”

Minister Rana, presenting her viewpoint, said that the Nepal’s nationalism, national interest and Nepali citizens’ interest will be kept in center stage while framing foreign policy.
She also said that this aspect will be taken into consideration while implementing the projects in Nepal run with foreign assistance.

The Minister asserted that the Nepal’s foreign policy will be based on the principles of Panchasheel (five principles of co-existence) and non-alignment.

As for query relating to EPG report, she answered, “The report is to be received in the consent of both countries. It will be proceeded ahead after looking into where it got stuck.”

In a different note, she appraised that all Nepali students were safe in the current developments in Bangladesh. She informed that her Ministry had set up a separate Help Desk at the Nepali Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh to facilitate the Nepalis willing to return home.

She shared that around 1,400 Nepali students returned home from Bangladesh as of last Tuesday and those who were in Bangladesh were also learnt to be safe.

The Foreign Affairs Minister proposed to develop a dedicated website for securing integrated information about students in various countries in the world for higher studies. It is very difficult to determine the exact number of such students and it would be easier for an Embassy to undertake the rescue of students during an emergency if such an information system could be implemented, according to the minister

She also underlined the need to increase Nepali students’ access to embassy and consulate services by restructuring and expanding of those structures as per the need of time.

Furthermore, the Foreign Minister said high-level diplomatic efforts are underway to rescue and repatriate Nepali citizens recruited in the Russian army for the Russia-Ukraine war.

As she said, 34 Nepali citizens have been confirmed to have died during the Russia-Ukraine war while the results of DNA tests of the remaining 22 killed are awaited. Likewise, six Nepali have remained as prisoners of war in Ukraine.

Similarly, Minister Dr. Rana also informed that consistent diplomatic efforts at bilateral and multilateral levels are underway on behalf of the government for the rescue of Bipin Joshi, who has been missing in the Israel-Palestine war.

On the occasion, she also briefed about progress in the implementation of recent agreements reached during the India and China visits by erstwhile Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
In response to lawmakers’ request for making efforts to operate the two international airports: Bhairahawa and Pokhra to their full capacities, she pledged to assess the situation and to do the needful.

Madhav Kumar Nepal, Mahantha Thakur, Sunita Baral, Sudan Kirati, Shishir Khanal, Eknath Dhakal, Uday Shumsher Rana, Bhim Prasad Acharya, Prem Suwal, Dr Dhawal Shumsher Rana, and Damodar Poudel were among those lawmakers who put queries before the Minister.