Kathmandu, Dec 7: Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba clarified that the recently concluded Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) framework agreement between Nepal and China does not include provisions for taking loans.
Speaking at Tribhuvan International Airport today before departing for the Netherlands to represent Nepal in an international climate change hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), she emphasized that the agreement was based solely on cooperation.
“We have signed cooperation-based projects under BRI. There is no mention of taking loans,” she stated. Minister Rana criticized the premature comments and misunderstandings circulating about the agreement in Nepal, reiterating that projects under the BRI would only proceed with the mutual consent of both countries.
She explained, “Loans are taken only with the consent and request of the receiving party. If we do not seek loans, why would the providing party force it upon us?”
Dr. Arzu further elaborated that Nepal signed the agreement with the understanding of constructing projects under BRI through grants. The agreement aligns with the principles of the “Global Development Initiatives” and does not involve security or other sensitive issues. She also mentioned that Nepal had conveyed its current inability to take loans to the Chinese Foreign Minister, resulting in a cooperative framework under BRI that both sides mutually agreed upon.
The Minister highlighted Nepal’s priorities under BRI, including trade, air and land connectivity, infrastructure development, and economic cooperation with China.
Dr. Rana is leading a Nepali delegation to the ICJ to discuss the impact of climate change on Nepal and the compensation Nepal deserves. This marks Nepal’s first presentation at the ICJ on the current state of climate change and its consequences on the country.
On Mangsir 24, Minister Rana will advocate for compensation for the impacts of carbon emissions caused by wealthy and developed nations, which have disproportionately affected countries like Nepal.
Her delegation includes Uday Raj Sapkota, Secretary at the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs, and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. #bri #drarzu #nepal
