Senior officials from Nepal and China will meet in Beijing during the second week of July to discuss the Protocol to the Transit and Transportation Agreement.

A senior Commerce Ministry official said the two sides have agreed to meet on July 10 and 11 in Beijing. He did not confirm whether the commerce secretary or joint secretary from the ministry would lead the delegation to Beijing.

Minister for Commerce and Supplies Matrika Prasad Yadav told Parliament on Wednesday that Nepal has sent the draft of the protocol to China and awaiting its approval.

The parties failed to sign the agreement during Prime Minister KP Oli’s visit to China recently. Differences over the text of the agreement compelled the parties to defer it to July.

Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, PM Oli said the parties would sign the Protocol to Transit and Transport Agreement next month. PM Oli blamed the two previous governments for the delay in signing the protocol that he initiated during his visit to China in 2016. (PR)