Mr. Chairman, Governor of Sichuan Provincial Government, Secretary of Chengdu Municipal Committee of the CPC, Secretary General of Education Forum for Asia, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen:

At the outset I wish to thank the organizers, particularly the Sichuan People’s Provincial government, for according us warm welcome to this splendid Chengdu city. I am pleased to know that under the national strategy for Western Development, this city has achieved remarkable progress in an all round way. City people’s aspiration “to access global education resources as part of a drive to improve the level of international communication and cooperation within Chengdu education system’’ will, no doubt, help it to become one of the lead cities of the world.

I am mesmerized by the astounding transformation that has taken place in this province despite the disaster that struck this province in 2008, claiming the lives of almost 70,000 people and injuring six times that number and making millions homeless. I cannot even comprehend the scale of development that I witness now from my first visit to this city in the 1960s. I offer my salutations to the people of China in general and Sichuan residents in particular.

The theme of this year’s conference dedicated to ‘Asian Education: Towards a more Prosperous and Better Future’ with six parallel meetings relating to it will not only enrich the participants knowledge base in their constant search for quality education in an integrated manner but also provide them with newer insights for future action. Last year we deliberated upon ‘International Cooperation Mechanism of China’ for the SCO University for promoting talents innovation and employability, educational exchange and cooperation as well as training program of domestic and overseas universities for Master’s program.
It was another excellent opportunity accorded to the people and countries of the region for raising the standard and quality of education to a higher level. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization has been picking up greater speed in trying to sustain the growing importance of multilateralism for a secure and stable world in the twenty first century by also delving into economic and social spheres including education. It is my utmost desire to see Nepal as an observer member of this important organization soon.

A prosperous and better future for the people of developing world as a whole is unthinkable without obtaining a proper balance between the urban and the rural areas by imparting quality education based on inclusiveness. It is also equally important to create conditions for promoting lifetime professional development of Asian teachers as well as encouraging their mobility along with students in the region. While higher level academic pursuits are necessary for a section of a society for achieving essential knowledge required for innovation and creativity, our focus on vocational education should be no lesser for the simple reason that developing countries have not been able to live up to their obligations to provide sufficient employment opportunities to its youth.

I am pleased to note that the scholars and practitioners of the world two most populous nations, India and China, with enormous potential and resources, have come together to build a new bridge and open a new chapter of cooperation and collaboration in knowledge products, particularly education management. I am confident that the initiative taken up by the prominent ancient civilizations of Asia would yield a desirable outcome that would not only be beneficial to Asia but the whole world.

In spite of a timely stabilization of global economy in a short time, possible only through the concerted efforts of the developed and developing countries including China, the world is not yet out of danger as being witnessed in the Euro Zone area today. Now is the right time to join hands with the Euro Zone countries since they are in trouble. While country like China can support them in stabilizing their finances, there would be others who would be willing to assist them in their recovery through skilled manpower and opening their doors for fruitful joint ventures. Europe has the state of art technology, whereas Asia has abundance of natural resources and manpower. The ageing population in most European countries can be supplemented by Asia’s youth with dreams and promises for a better future. Let them join hands for strengthening Euro-Asia solidarity.

Before concluding let me pay tribute to the great statesman of China, paramount leader Deng Xiao Ping, whose courage and vision to embark on a new journey has not only brought tremendous benefits to the Chinese people but also the entire Asian region and now extending to Europe as well. His quote of “To be rich is glorious’’ has transformed the mindset of over a billion people of China. Nepal is honored to be China’s closest friend and neighbor.

Thank You!