KATHMANDU: Bishnu Prasad Poudel, Vice-Chairperson of CPN-UML, lauded China’s leadership in launching the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and expressed optimism about Nepal reaping substantial benefits from it.

Speaking at the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) in China’s Henan province on Thursday, UML Vice-Chair Poudel emphasized Nepal’s potential gains from China’s GDI, which prioritizes areas such as poverty reduction, food security, climate change, and digital development.

Highlighting the alignment of GDI’s priority areas with Nepal’s development goals, Poudel revealed Nepal’s recent decision to join the Group of Friends of the GDI.

“Nepal’s endorsement of the GDI reflects our belief in President Xi Jinping’s vision of a shared future for mankind, emphasizing peace and interconnectedness. Genuine shared prosperity can only be achieved when all nations, regardless of their development status, have equal opportunities for advancement,” stated the former Finance Minister.

Poudel underscored Nepal’s strategic position as a close neighbor of China, foreseeing significant gains from enhanced collaboration in infrastructure development, technology transfer, and capacity building.

“We anticipate that the GDI will catalyze transformative projects tailored to Nepal’s development needs, thereby accelerating our national development endeavors,” he added.

Addressing concerns such as transparency and debt sustainability, Poudel stressed the importance of achieving GDI’s objectives of sustainable and equitable development.

He expressed confidence that concessional financing, knowledge sharing, and projects tailored to the needs of developing countries would strengthen the GDI’s purpose and foster trust and inclusiveness among its participants.

Emphasizing Nepal’s commitment to multilateralism, Poudel affirmed Nepal’s active engagement in discussions within the GDI framework and other international platforms.

He articulated Nepal’s readiness to collaborate with China and like-minded partners to advance development agendas that benefit all nations, paving the way for a more prosperous, peaceful, and sustainable future.

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