KATHMANDU, Nov 10: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that trans-Himalayan cooperation could be one of the collaborative platforms to multiply Nepal's efforts for cooperation with China and India.

Prime Minister Dahal argued that the economic success of the big neighbors provides impetus to Nepal's development efforts. “Against this backdrop, we need to explore new possibilities of cooperation,” he said, adding that trans-Himalayan cooperation could be one such platforms.

Addressing an international seminar entitled Trans-Himalayan Cooperation Beyond Trilateral Discourses in Kathmandu on Wednesday, Prime Minister Dahal recalled that he had first floated the idea of trilateral cooperation among Nepal, China and India. “The sole aim of the trans-Himalayan cooperation is to pursue collaborative development projects, which can be mutually beneficial for all three countries,” he further said.

The prime minister also expressed optimism that there is a positive prospect for building broader trans-Himalayan cooperation after his recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

“In addition to China, Nepal and India, various countries from South Asia and its proximity can collaborate in the trans-Himalayan cooperation platform,” he said.

The one-day conference organized by the Development Institute was participated by Professor Dai Yonghang of Sichuan University, China and senior research fellow at the Institute for Defense Studies and Analysis from India, besides experts from Nepal. Experts from the three countries had deliberated on the prospects and challenges of trans-Himalayan cooperation in view of the differences that China and India share on a number of issues.

 
• pushpa kamal dahal
 
• trans-himalayan cooperation