Interview: Nepali president hopes his forthcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi to be productive

KATHMANDU, March 19 -- Nepali President Ram Baran Yadav has expressed hope that his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the forthcoming Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2015 would be productive in strengthening bilateral ties.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua on Wednesday, Nepali President Yadav said "I am hopeful my meeting with President Xi during the Boao conference will help take Nepal-China relations to a new high."

Leading a high-level Nepali delegation, President Yadav will pay an official visit to China to attend the annual Boao Forum to be held in China's Hainan Province at the end of March.

Hailing China's rapid economic growth, President Yadav said that China's economic growth is not only beneficial for neighboring countries like Nepal but also for the entire region.

"China has been able to become the world's second largest economy which is a matter of happiness for not only neighboring countries like us, but also for the entire region," he said.

Highlighting that Nepal and China have been enjoying friendly, cordial and smooth relations, the Nepali president said that the celebration of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries will be helpful for enhancing bilateral ties in the days to come.

"Nepal and China maintain cordial relations and we have a peaceful border since ages," the president said, adding "People-to- people contacts which are said to be established some 2,000 years ago should be strengthened".

The president also reiterated Nepal's long-standing One-China policy.

"I am hopeful we will have better air and road connectivity in the near future," the president said.

He said that the international community including China has always stood with Nepal in the entire peace process as well the ongoing constitution-making process.

"The international community including China is always supporting stability, peace and prosperity of Nepal," the president said.

Commenting on the ongoing constitution-making process in Nepal, President Yadav expressed confidence that political parties would be able to finish the new constitution at the earliest date. "It is the duty of the political parties and the Constituent Assembly to work toward producing the new statute at the earliest," he said.

Yadav, who was elected as the first president of Nepal on July23, 2008, said that his tenure will be expired only after the promulgation of the new statute as stated in the interim constitution of Nepal.

Yadav's forthcoming visit to China will be the second one after he attended the closing ceremony of Shanghai World Expo in October2010.