Nepal, China to sign trade treaty, fuel agreement

KATHMANDU: Nepal today said it will sign a trade and transit treaty and agreements on importing fuel from China during Prime Minister K P Oli's forthcoming visit to the Communist giant.

Oli is leaving for Beijing on March 20 on a week-long official visit.

Minister for Industry Som Prasad Pandey said that an agreement on oil exploration will also be signed as China has already assured help to Nepal in this regard.

He said Nepal and China will also sign an agreement to trademarks during the visit.

He said that agreements will also be signed for the construction of an international airport in Pokhara and a bridge over the Simikot-Hilsa road section that will connect Humla district to Tibet.

The nearly five-month-long Madhesi agitation over Nepal's new Constitution and the trade blockade with India that ended last month caused severe shortage of petroleum products in the landlocked nation.