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By Our Reporter
President Bidya Devi Bhandari addressed the Leaders’ Roundtable of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing on Saturday.
Speaking on the theme of “Promoting Green and Sustainable Development to Implement the UN 2030 Agenda”, the President drew the attention of the world leaders to the adverse effects of climate change and laid emphasis on the need for developing clean energy and low-carbon pathways of development by means of scientific research-based solutions.
Expressing the view that the realisation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is possible only through enhanced co-operation among nations, the President stated that the objectives of development and prosperity as emphasised by the Belt and Road Initiative closely correspond to the Sustainable Development Goals for achieving transformative, inclusive and equitable development outcomes. President Bhandari said that the Belt and Road Initiative was emerging as a key driver for poverty alleviation, employment generation, infrastructure building and industrial transformation, and expressed the confidence that BRI would support the process of economic transformation in Nepal by expanding connectivity networks and supporting the country’s economic integration into the global market.
The Second Belt and Road Forum concluded in Beijing on Saturday with the release of a Joint Communiqué titled ‘Belt and Road Co-operation: Shaping a Brighter Shared Future’.
Earlier on Friday, President Bhandari addressed the High-Level Meeting of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.
Addressing the Forum, President Bhandari said that the development of ‘Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network’, including Nepal-China Cross-Border Railway, would boost connectivity not only between Nepal and China but other countries in the region.
She said that connectivity is of paramount importance in its socio-economic development for a landlocked country like Nepal. “With enhanced connectivity, vast opportunities for trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people relations will open up,” she said.
She also lauded China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and said,” It is an important framework for collaboration, for cooperation and partnership.”
The far-sighted vision of Chinese President Xi Jinping to build a community of shared future for mankind through BRI carries a huge potential, she said.“Mutual efforts for mutual benefit; inclusive development for fair and equitable world order; and the green development for the good health of the people and planet embody its spirit,” she said. “It lays emphasis on boosting connectivity, developing infrastructure, connecting markets and enhancing cooperation among the nations in diverse sectors in the region and beyond.BRI promotes openness in place of isolation, cooperation in place of confrontation and win-win cooperation in place of zero-sum game, President Bhandari said, adding that BRI could play an instrumental role in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals in view of the fact that many countries were facing huge resource gap.
“BRI is the engine for prosperous future where not a single country is excluded from the fruit of development,” she added.
She also attended the Opening Ceremony of Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.