Kathmandu: Hon. Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shisir Khanal, delivered keynote address at the International Conference on “China and South Asia in a Multipolar World,” jointly organized by the Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement (NIICE) and the Centre for South Asian Studies of Fudan University on August 7.
Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal has said that Nepal can play the role of a dynamic bridge to expand economic, commercial and people-level cooperation between China and South Asia. Addressing the International Conference on ‘China and South Asia in a Multipolar World: China-India-Nepal Trilateral Relations in a Developed Regional System’ held in Lalitpur on Friday, Foreign Minister Khanal, the chief guest of the program, mentioned that Nepal is strengthening relations with both neighboring countries on the basis of sovereign equality, mutual respect, mutual interests and sensitivity to each other’s legitimate interests.
Foreign Minister Khanal mentioned that the rapid economic transformation of Asia has created an unprecedented opportunity for common prosperity and said that cooperation is the most reliable means of sustainable development and prosperity. “The transformation of Asia has created an unprecedented opportunity for shared prosperity. Cooperation is the sure way to sustainable development and long-term prosperity,” he said.
He said that the continuous economic progress of China and India has provided new opportunities for trade expansion, investment attraction, infrastructure and connectivity development, tourism promotion and expansion of economic cooperation to neighboring countries including Nepal. Foreign Minister Khanal clarified that economic diplomacy is at the center of Nepal’s foreign policy and mentioned that its main purpose is to improve the living standards of Nepali citizens. “Our foreign policy is linked to the improvement of people’s living standards. Its basic purpose is to create opportunities for trade, investment, employment, entrepreneurship, tourism, technology, innovation and sustainable development,” he said.
He mentioned that although South Asia has huge economic potential, regional economic integration has not been expected, and expressed the opinion that the region can achieve significant economic benefits if connectivity, easy trade, investment flow and supply chain can be strengthened. “The success of our cooperation should not be measured by how many agreements we have made, but by how many opportunities we have been able to create for our citizens,” he said.
Foreign Minister Khanal said that the current government has placed economic transformation as a national priority and has placed special emphasis on quality investment, infrastructure development, export promotion, tourism, clean energy, digital transformation, innovation and private sector development. “Economic diplomacy has become the central priority of our foreign policy today. Nepal is ready to cooperate with all friendly countries for sustainable, inclusive and uplifting development,” he said.
He mentioned that since Nepal is located between two large and rapidly developing economies, it is taken as an economic opportunity and clarified that the government’s goal is to develop Nepal as a dynamic bridge connecting China and South Asia from a landlocked country. “Our aspiration is to transform Nepal from a landlocked country into a vibrant and dynamic bridge connecting China and South Asia,” he said.
Foreign Minister Khanal mentioned that Nepal has more than 42,000 megawatts of economically viable hydropower capacity, rich biological diversity, abundant water resources, fertile agricultural areas and a lot of potential for investment in the areas of expanding digital economy. In addition, he said, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, the spiritual legacy of Guru Padmasambhava, Mount Everest and the heritage listed in the World Heritage List have further strengthened Nepal’s “soft power”.
He pointed out the need to strengthen regional cooperation, energy security, climate change, digital transformation, research, innovation and people-level relations and emphasized that cooperation between universities, research institutions and think tanks should also be strengthened. Foreign Minister Khanal stressed the need to build a partnership based on trust, mutual respect and common interests in a multipolar world and said that Nepal is committed to playing a constructive and positive role in that direction. “Asia’s future will not only be determined by the size of the economy or the speed of technology, it will also be determined by the quality of the partnerships we build and trust in each other,” he said.
Highlighting the Government’s focus on economic diplomacy and cross-border connectivity, Minister Khanal underscored Nepal’s vision to become a vibrant bridge between China and South Asia to foster regional cooperation, sustainable development and shared prosperity.
The international conference was held under the joint project of Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement and South Asia Studies Center of Fudan University.
