Nepal will press for increased trade and investment when Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori visits the Himalayan Kingdom later this week, Nepali officials said on Thursday. Mr Mori arrives on Friday for a seven-hour official visit in the final leg of his eight-day four-nation South Asian tour which included Bangladesh, Pakistan and India.
Mr Mori, the first Japanese Prime Minister to visit Nepal, will meet King Birendra and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala.
''We will discuss the enhancement of trade and possibilities of attracting Japanese investment to Nepal,'' foreign ministry Spokesman Gyan Chandra Acharya told Reuters.
Trade between Tokyo and Kathmandu amounted to 2.48 billion Nepali rupees in 1998/99. The trade balance is in favour of Japan since Nepali imports of vehicles and Japanese consumer and luxury goods exceeded its exports of mainly carpets, tea, herbs and handicraft.
Acharya said Kathmandu was keen to attract more Japanese investment into other areas of the economy. ''There is great potential to increase the miniscule trade,'' one commerce ministry official said.
Acharya said that landlocked Nepal was also eyeing Japanese funding for the development of information technology.
Nepal has received 234 billion yen since 1969 from Japan in technical assistance, financial grants and loans in areas ranging from telecom, hydropower, health and education.

Bureau Report