(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - While addressing the nation on Tuesday, he said, “To share and promote our active non-aligned policy, we are participating the Non- Aligned Movement summit in Iran on August 30-31.” He is heading to Tehran on Wednesday, leading a 14- member official delegation and is scheduled to return on September 1. Opposition parties have opined it will be unwise if the caretaker PM attends the summit, while some powerful Western countries “urged” Nepal not make the NAM delegation at PM’s level.
In his address, PM Bhattarai tried to project the intent of his earlier foreign trips, particularly to the United Nations in September and to India in October last year for serving national interests multilaterally and bilaterally.
Saying that the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA) and Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DATTA) with India were major achievements, he revealed that the process was undergone to seal the BIPPA with China too.
“The BIPPA will enforce in serving national interests as we required huge amount of investments,” he said referring that the agreement was to attract foreign investment.
He reiterated Nepal’s one- China policy, and the policy of not letting Nepal’s soil be used against countries. He claimed that relations with neighbouring countries, particularly with India and China have become closer and used it for the sake of national interests.
Emphasizing that the BIPPA with India was due to national compulsion and necessity, the PM criticised those against it.
“Without accepting the geographical fact, the slogan of hollow and narrow nationalism will only make us dependent and weaker,” he said. “We can only defend our national interests and sovereignty.
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