Russia has asked for detailed project proposals from Nepal for 13 different projects, including the construction of railways and roads, that can be constructed and operated with Russian cooperation. 

Russia’s request for detailed project proposals for various projects with Nepal comes following a meeting between National Assembly Chairman Ganesh Prasad Timilsina and his Russian counterpart Valentina Matvienko, where discussions were held regarding 13 different projects that Russia could undertake. 

According to a statement issued by NA Chairman Timilsina’s office, the Russian embassy in Nepal, in a letter to Chairman Timilsina on May 4, has asked the government to move forward with various project proposals. 

The projects include the construction of electric railways, highways, and cancer hospitals for children along with increasing the scholarship quota for Nepali students to study in Moscow, reads a press statement issued by the National Assembly chairman’s office. 

Timilsina, who was on an official visit to Russia from April 19 to April 23, had held discussions regarding the projects with the Speaker of the Federal Assembly of Russia, the Upper House of Russia, Valentina Matvienko, the Speaker of the Russian Lower House, the Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, and the Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko. 

As per the statement, Russia has asked for a project proposal to construct the East-West Electric Railway and a railway similar to the Moscow Railway in Kathmandu and to build the Pokhara-Ridi road connecting Nepal’s main tourist destination, Pokhara, to nearby tourist spots. 

“The estimated cost for the construction of the Pokhara-Ridi road from Pokhara to Gulmi via Parbat is nearly Rs4 billion. As per Chairman Timilsina’s proposal, Russia wants to build this road with its own investment,” reads the statement. # Russia has also shown interest in the construction of two cancer hospitals for children in Kathmandu and Pokhara.

“Russia has proposed to provide Russian doctors at the initial stage in the hospital and later handover the operations to Nepali doctors,” the statement reads. # The statement also mentioned that Russia is trying to provide a scholarship quota to 150 to 200 students annually to study medicine and engineering. # In the discussion list with the Nepal side, it has also enlisted some other points including “resumption of direct flights between Russia and Nepal, which were interrupted in 2002, delivery of Russian helicopters that have proven themselves in the mountainous condition of Nepal.” # As per the statement, Timilsina has urged government leaders, including Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat, Minister for Agriculture Beduram Bhusal, Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Prakash Jwala, Minister for Education Ashok Rai, Minister for Health Mohan Bahadur Basnet and Minister for Youth and Sports Dik Bahadur Limbu, to prepare proposals for the implementation of the projects. #