Kathmandu, May 18
If things go as planned, China’s President Xi Jinping is likely to visit Nepal in about five months. Well before that, Vice-president Nanda Bahadur Pun is likely to make it to the northern neighbour in about three weeks.
The neighbours are making preparations for the high-level visits. Nepal had invited China’s President Xi and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the international Buddhist conference that it is hosting in Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, and Kathmandu.
In October, President Xi is visiting Goa for two days, where he will attend a BRICS — a bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — summit on October 15-16. While heading for Goa, he may make a short visit to Kathmandu, a source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Onlinekhabar. Homework is underway in a bid to arrange President Xi’s short visit to Nepal, the source said.
A foreign ministry official said: During Prime Minister KP Oli’s visit to China, the two sides had reached an understanding to arrange high-level visits. In keeping with this understanding, the possibility of President Xi visiting Nepal during the BRICS summit is under discussion.
Meanwhile, Vice-president Pun is likely to visit the northern neighbour for attending a South Asian Trade Fair taking place in Kunming on June 12-17.
Vice-president Pun has received an invite for the fair from Vice-chief of Kunming People’s Congress. If the Cabinet gives its nod, Pun will leave for Kunming on June 11.
