Nepal decides not to be part of the State Partnership Program of US govt

KATHMANDU, June 20: The government has decided not to be part of the State Partnership Program (SPP) of the US government following a controversy surrounding it in Nepal.

A cabinet meeting held on Monday took a decision to inform the US government about Nepal's intention not to be part of the SPP. Cabinet sources said the government will soon write to the US government informing its decision in this regard.

Although Nepal is said to be part of the SPP a few years ago, the program lately courted controversy after a proposed draft of the SPP agreement that the US side reportedly handed over to Nepali political leadership was circulated publicly.

The issue became a matter of controversy as there are speculations that Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is visiting the US to sign the agreement. Earlier, Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand had informed parliament that the government does not intend to sign any such agreements during the upcoming visit of PM Deuba to the US.