KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli left for China this morning on a five-day official visit at the friendly invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

He is leading the Nepali delegation to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit.

At the Tribhuvan International Airport’s VIP lounge, Deputy Prime Minister and Urban Development Minister Prakash Man Singh, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba, and Chief Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal bade farewell to the Prime Minister.

High-ranking government officials, the heads of the Nepal Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, National Investigation Department, and representatives of the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu were also present at the airport.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nepali delegation to China consists of 23 members.

The delegation includes First Lady Radhika Shakya; former Deputy Prime Minister and lawmaker Purna Bahadur Khadka; Minister for Education, Science and Technology Raghuj Panta; Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Badri Prasad Pandey; former Finance Minister and PM’s economic advisor Dr. Yubaraj Khatiwada; lawmaker Chhabilal Bishwakarma; and other senior officials.

During the visit, Prime Minister Oli is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as well as with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of government of five other countries.

Established in 2001, the SCO has grown into one of the world’s largest regional organizations.

Its full members include China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus.

Prime Minister Oli will address the SCO Plus Summit in Tianjin on September 1 before returning to Nepal on September 3.