4 January, Kathmandu. Former Foreign Minister and UML Deputy Secretary General Pradeep Gyawali has expressed dissatisfaction with the statement made by the Chinese side on the day of the opening of Pokhara International Airport.
During an interview with Online Khabar, Gyawali criticized the statement made by China’s Acting Ambassador Wang Xin that the airport was built under BRI. “My question is on what basis did he make that statement,” he said in the interview.
Gyawali further said, ‘The Pokhara airport debate has been going on since 2010. A year before Nepal signed the BRI, the foundation stone laying and funding modality had already been discussed. But in what sense did the acting ambassador of China say, I could not understand.’
He opined that Nepal will move forward through friendship and cooperation with the two neighboring countries and should not alienate anyone.
He gave some recent examples saying that despite Nepal’s friendship with India, there are still difficulties in that friendship.
“Border disputes have not been resolved yet, during demonetisation, notes were exchanged around the world, but not ours”, he said, targeting India, “Deviations have been seen in the past in the conduct of foreign policy from our side as well.” The next government should be able to keep it under wraps.’
Gyawali expressed his displeasure with the statement made by the then Prime Minister of the previous government, Sher Bahadur Deuba, that he would not take a loan from BRI and that he could think about grants.
“There was a lack of information and knowledge in the person who became the Prime Minister at that time. One should not decide whether to take a loan or not by looking at the donor’s face,” he said. While countries like Argentina and Chile have taken loans from the World Bank, they have gone in the wrong direction because they have not managed properly.’
In another question, Gyawali said that there are many problems regarding unity with the Unified Socialists, but those who are in that party can give a proper place to the party who came back.
Online Khabar’s Basant Basnet’s interview with Gyawali can be seen in this video. Its full text will be published in online news tomorrow.
Photo and video: Shankar Giri
