Jan 23 January 2019, Davos (Switzerland)/Tirtha Prasad Bhattarai
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that Nepal is trying to invite investment, use technology and technology transfer to develop connectivity in its trade and relationship with other Asian countries.
Speaking as one of the panelists in a session on ‘Strategic Outlook on South Asia’ as part of the 49th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum’s session here today, Prime Minister Oli said we are focusing our efforts on economic development and good governance and introducing new policies and reforms in each and every field of economic and social spheres.
“Our moto is prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepalis and to materialize that national desire we are concentrating ourselves. We are introducing social justice by improving all sectors of our society. And justice and equality, empowering women and bringing the backward section into the front line,” he said. With these efforts, now we have entered into a new situation and are optimistic and we doing our best to expand our role and increase role in regional and international affairs also.
To a question relating to regional development, Prime Minister Oli said South Asia is a region of learned people with great civilization. We have the genetic memory of our learned ancestors and we have very excellent diversity from top of the world, Mount Everest to the Bay of Bengal in the Indian ocean. We also have very fertile land and a very young population.
Nepal right now is politically established with a stable government and clear policy in each and every sector, he said while adding that we are trying to invest and attract investment in the productive sector, as we have the possibility to become the fastest growing economy within few years. “For this, we have developed connectivity with China and India, including a railway connection underway with both countries,” he said.
Likewise, Prime Minister Oli said Nepal is giving due consideration to environmental conservation. “60 percent of our land is devoted to climate conservation including 15 percent with mountains and 45 percent with forests. We are for responsible and sustainable development,” the Prime Minister said in a question concerning climate change.
We are concentrating all our efforts for the lives of the people and, for the earth and the people, the PM said in regards to sustainable development.
On a different note, Prime Minister Oli said, “We are also speeding up our collaboration with neighbors India, China, and Bangladesh, doing due agreements and implementing them, and making due policies internally to achieve the goal of speedy development, control corruption and provide services to the people.”
As the chair of the SAARC, Prime Minister Oli said, Nepal is trying to increase cooperation among SAARC member countries and also hold the SAARC summit in the near future with the development of all-round ties between the members in the region.
Other panelists in the session included Chief Executive of Afghanistan Abdullah Abdullah, former governor of India’s Central Reserve Bank Prof Raghuram G. Rajan and President and CEO of Telenor Group, Norway Sigve Brekke.
Also present in the session was a member of the Nepali delegation to the WEF Foreign Minister Pradip Gyawali.
