PM Koirala receives credentials from Chinese Ambassador

Kathmandu, Apr 20 (UNI) In the first-ever such ceremony, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala received the credentials of newly-appointed Chinese Ambassador Zhen Xianglin.

This is the first time in the history of Nepal that the Prime Minister has received the credentials from a diplomat. Earlier the King, as the head of state, used to receive the credentials in the past until the the country's Parliament stripped the monarch of all power and suspended the institution in the new interim constitution.

The interim constitution, promulgated in January, also made the Prime Minister the Head of State.

''Mr Koirala hoped that during Mr Zhen's tenure, the long-standing friendly relations between the two countries would be further strengthened and expanded to the areas mutually beneficial to the people of both the countries'', the foreign ministry said after the ceremony at Singhdurbar yesterday.

Presenting his credentials, the newly-appointed Ambassador said he would do his best to further promote the age-old ties existing between the two countries.

UNI