Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that the implementation of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects will move ahead with priority.
Speaking at a seminar titled ‘A Decade of BRI: Trade, Investment, and Connectivity’ held in Kathmandu on Sunday by the Nepal-China Friendship Forum, Dahal said that the government was committed to advancing development projects by carefully selecting and executing initiatives under the BRI umbrella. Stating that BRI projects have seen delays due to factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, systemic challenges, and infrastructure limitations, he said Nepal was determined to accelerate development and prosperity through the implementation of BRI projects.
Echoing Chinese President Xi Jinping’s vision that Nepal is on the path to transforming from a landlocked to a land-linked nation, he stressed the need for collective efforts to turn this vision into reality. Daha also hoped for a policy shift from China and said he expects China to consider Nepal for grants and assistance for certain projects instead of loans.
Highlighting China’s impressive development as an exemplary nation and a valuable neighbor and friend to Nepal, Dahal expressed Nepal’s desire to achieve rapid development, poverty alleviation, and sustainable development, aligning with China’s principles of common prosperity and sustainable development through the BRI.
“Nepal urgently requires substantial investments in infrastructure development. Traditional sources of development aid may not be sufficient. That is why we have taken BRI as a crucial external capital source to expedite development activities,” Dahal said. “Despite an estimated $1 trillion invested in the BRI over the past decade, Nepal has not attracted a significant share of these investments.”
