Value of friendship is superior: PM Oli

– Shyam Rimal and Prakash Silwal
Kathmandu, Oct 3 : Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said there is nothing as loss and gain as his sole emphasis would be on promoting mutual friendship with the friendly neighbouring country, China. Talking to editors and representatives of the media, including Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS), the National News Agency, at the Prime Minister’s Official Residence in Baluwatar this afternoon, he said during the high-level talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping going to be held in Nepal soon his efforts would be on building multi-dimensional relations at the government to government and people to people level.

“There is no calculation of loss and gain in high-level meetings. I will stress on further enhancing friendship. Both sides are benefited all along when there is mutual friendship,” PM Oli said.
“Expectation of physical and monetary benefits is less important things in high-level meeting between two countries. Certainly some results would be achieved after the meeting, but the talks would not be held by preparing a shopping-list. The value of friendship is the most important thing,” he added.

Noting that discussions would be held with China on investment, trade and technology transfer, Prime Minister expressed the belief that these sectors would obviously grow along with the enhancement of friendship between the two countries.”His Excellency Xi Jinping’s visit to Nepal will be extremely successful,” he said referring to the Chinese President’s imminent official visit to Nepal. Replying a question, PM Oli, who is also the Chairman of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP), said, to say that Nepal has gone for the ‘Xi Thought’ just on the basis of mutual collaboration between two parties is an attempt to defame them.

He said he felt sympathy for those who make irrational logic despite being intellectuals. “We will move forward as per our necessity. It is sheer narrow-mindedness to say that Nepal is oriented to the ‘Xi Thought’, it is a lack of sane thinking, it is intolerance,” the PM remarked. Reasoning the revolutionary thought of Subas Chandra Bose and the peaceful way advocated by Mahatma Gandhi during the India’s war of independence were both correct, he made it clear that the ideologies of all would be studied and implemented as per Nepal’s situation, necessity and context.

Asked if Nepal has begun to be seen and heard in the international arena, Prime Minister Oli said the government has paid attention to the international relations based on national interest, justice and international responsibility. He reasoned that Nepal has now emerged from a situation in which its independence was contracted and restricted although it had remained a sovereign and independent nation since the past.

“Nepal has begun to exercise its autonomy independently both internally and externally, and it has been exercising. Because of this, Nepal has begun to be seen and heard. We will never bow down. We will not tilt to any side. We are effortful towards making Nepal land-linked, sea-linked, air-linked and communications-linked from a land-locked country,” PM Oli declared.

The Prime Minister asserted that Nepal’s relations with its neighbours has become more cordial, stronger, reliable and reached a new height while its international relations too has been raised. “It is for real that Nepal has begun to be heard in the international forums,” he said. “Nepal as a country will stand on its own independent basic policy. We do not get swayed for short term gains.

We will work for national interest, persona and independence. We stick to our sovereignty, world fraternity, peace, policy of just world system, the UN Charter, non-alignment movement and Panchasheel (the five principles of peaceful coexistence),” he said. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres having remembered and mentioned issues raised by himself in his address to the UN General Assembly last year during the concluding ceremony could be a significant move for Nepal, argued PM Oli.

When asked what measures have been taken to facilitate festival celebrators, he said the government has focused on facilitating them during festivals. In this regard, concerned authorities have been directed to facilitate transport, provide security and manage the market during festivals, he said.