The government has confirmed Nepal’s participation in One Belt One Road conference to be held in Beijing next month.Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Krishan Bahadur Mahara will lead the Nepali delegation to the conference.

Nepali side on Thursday communicated it to the Chinese side that Nepal is sending a high level delegation to China to participate in the conference slated for May 14 and 15 led by Mahara, according to Rishi Raj Adhikari, Foreign Relations Adviser to the Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

Though Prime Minister Dahal had received an invitation to participate in the conference, the government has decided to send Mahara representing Nepal owing to to clash of local elections dates clash with the conference.

But officials are making their last ditch effort to sign an agreement with China becoming the part of China-backed Belt and Road Initiative, a flagship and ambitious foreign policy signature undertaken by China’s President, Xi Jinping.   

It is said that at least 28 heads of the state and over 150 nations have confirmed their participation in the conference. Conceived and bankrolled by China, OBOR is a long-term strategic initiative to improve connectivity and enhance trade routes from Southeast Asia to Europe.