Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali has said the Tatopani border point with China will come into operation by mid-May.
Gyawali, who returned from China visit on Wednesday, said the border point that was shut down after the Gorkha Earthquake in 2015 is currently being repaired and will come into operation by mid-May.
Minister Gyawali said there will, however, be no retail business from the border point after its reopening as containers will arrive directly at the dry port nearby.
Addressing the press conference organized at the Foreign Ministry to brief about the recent China visit of President Bidya Devi Bhandari, he also talked about signing of the protocol on Trade and Transit Treaty. "The protocol has even come into implementation after signing," he stated.
He claimed that containers with Chinese goods can be brought to Nepal in 13 days after signing of the protocol.
He said signing on the protocol was delayed as the previous governments were focused on elections.
Minister Gyawali and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi had signed on the protocol in presence of President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Chinese President Xi Jinping during Bhandari's recent visit of China to participate in the second summit of the Belt and Road Initiative.
The two countries had signed the transit treaty three years ago and had concluded the protocol in September 2018.
Nepal can use four ports and three dry ports in China for international trade as per the protocol ending the dependence on India for international trade.
