President Bidya Devi Bhandari attended the Opening Ceremony of the International Horticultural Exhibition 2019 in Beijing today. President Bhandari inaugurated the Nepali Pavilion (Lumbini Peace Garden) at the Exhibition and planted a tree sapling brought from Nepal.

President Bhandari addressed businessmen, entrepreneurs and investors from Nepal and China at the Nepal-China Economic and Trade Forum organized jointly by the Embassy of Nepal and Economic Joint Committee of China Commercial Stock Enterprises.

In her remarks, the President highlighted the Government’s agenda of economic transformation under the motto of ‘Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali,’ and called on Chinese investors to tap on the investment opportunities available in Nepal arising from its natural resource, political stability and supportive policy environment.

Speaking on the occasion, Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali highlighted the investment opportunities in Nepal for foreign investors, and urged Chinese entrepreneurs to take advantage of the plentiful opportunities in the country by investing in hydropower, manufacturing industries, IT, services, tourism, mining, herbal medicines, and agro-based industries, among others. Minister Gyawali unveiled a publication on investment and business opportunities in Nepal titled ‘Nepal: A Land of Abundant Opportunities’, published by the Embassy.

CEO of Investment Board of Nepal, Maha Prasad Adhikari made a presentation on the policies and procedures relating to investment opportunities in Nepal. In their speeches, representatives of Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Confederation of Nepalese Industry (CNI) and Nepal-China Chamber of Commerce (NCCC) expressed the willingness to enhance mutual partnership between the business enterprises of the two countries, and urged Chinese business enterprises to make investments in Nepal’s diverse sectors. Similarly, representatives of Chinese enterprises investing in Nepal shared their experiences on doing business in the country.

Three separate MoUs on promoting cooperation between Nepali and Chinese organizations, including that between Investment Board of Nepal and China Overseas Development Association, were signed at the event. The members of the Nepali delegation accompanying the President participated in the program.

In the afternoon, President visited the White Pagoda in Beijing. Upon arrival, senior officials of the Miaoying Temple that houses the Pagoda extended a warm welcome to the President and briefed her about the pagoda’s significance in China’s cultural and architectural history. Built in the thirteenth century during the Yuan Dynasty by Nepali architect Arniko, the White Pagoda is an iconic heritage symbolizing the age-old cultural relations between Nepal and China.