THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala and Nepal have potential for collaboration in tourism, hydropower, food production, high-altitude sports and adventure tourism, Bharat Kumar Regmi, Charge d’Affaires, Embassy of Nepal in New Delhi, said here on Thursday.
He was addressing travel and tour and trade representatives on trade and investment opportunities between Nepal and Kerala at an interaction organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
‘’What we need is a collective will to sustain an enduring partnership to convert resources into wealth for our mutual benefit,’’ said Regmi who had held discussions with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran.
The unique and enduring relationship between the people of India and Nepal constitute a solid ground for boosting business and investment ties and cooperation in tourism, he said.
Over the years, India has continued to be the biggest trade partner of the small yet culturally diverse Himalayan country that has a population of roughly three crore.‘’Imports from India constitute 65 per cent of total imports,’’ he said.
A major aim of Regmi’s visit to Kerala is to boost tourism ties. In fact, the Nepal Government plans to boost overall international tourist arrivals in the small country from the present one million to two million by 2020, he said.
With a Communist Government in place, Nepal is enjoying political stability after many years, a factor conducive for boosting trade and investment relations. ‘’We fully realise that we must seize this opportunity to enhance our collaboration to make our society and people more prosperous and to further strengthen our relations,’’ Regmi said.
Cultural and geographical similarities are an advantage to Indian entrepreneurs who wish to invest in Nepal, he said.
Tourism secretary Rani George; Nepal Embassy’s second secretary Babu Ram Sigdyal; Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairman Biju Ramesh, president S N Raghuchandran Nair and others were present.