KATHMANDU: Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balen Shah has extended best wishes to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on his official visit to China, while also offering pointed suggestions.

In a message posted on Facebook, Mayor Shah reminded the Prime Minister that Lipulekh belongs to Nepal and urged him not to forget to make this clear to China during his meetings.

“Prime Minister, best wishes for your visit to China. The agreement between India and China to conduct trade through Nepal’s Lipulekh Pass has directly affected our sovereignty. Please make sure to convey this message clearly to China,” Shah wrote.

Recently, India and China reached a deal to use Lipulekh Pass as a bilateral trade route without consulting Nepal, a move that Nepal has strongly objected to.

Prime Minister Oli departed for China on Saturday. During his trip, he is expected to hold side meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Earlier, PM Oli had told journalists that he would raise the Lipulekh issue during the visit.