Nepal to serve as transit route for Indo-China trade

Nepal, for the first time, is going to pledge its readiness to serve as a transit country for India-China trade during an upcoming commerce secretary level meeting between Nepal and India.

"We will pledge to India our readiness to serve as a transit country between the two fastest growing economies in the world," Bharat Bahadur Thapa, secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies of Nepal, told reporters here on Tuesday.

The high level officials of both countries are set to resume trade talks, after a gap of almost two years, on Aug. 24-25 in New Delhi, India.

Thapa said they are holding talks to review the issues related to bilateral trade, investment, and infrastructure and transit.

Prior to the secretary level meeting, the two sides have been scheduled to hold a joint secretary level review meeting on bilateral trade treaty signed in 2002.

The treaty review meeting will start on Tuesday and will continue for two days, said Thapa.

Sources at the ministry said the Nepali side will mainly raise the issue of non-tariff barriers and procedural complexities that India has been creating to bar Nepali goods.

Source: Xinhua