KATHMANDU, Feb 24: Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia Dr Joe Felter has arrived in Kathmandu on Sunday.

Dr Felter’s arrival has been confirmed by American Ambassador to Nepal Randy Berry through a tweet.

Welcome to #Nepal, Deputy Asst Secretary of Defense for South & Southeast Asia Dr. Joe Felter. He's the senior most defense policy visitor to Nepal in the past 8 yrs. Looking forward to his visit and the further strengthening of our US-Nepal defense relationship! pic.twitter.com/k0rOYQLtIM

— Ambassador Randy Berry (@USAmbNepal) February 24, 2019

Ambassador Berry, in the tweet, has expressed hope that Felter’s Nepal visit will take the bilateral ties between Nepal and America to a new height.  

"He will meet with Nepali govt officials, defense officials, civil society, and many more to further strengthen the US-Nepal Defense relationship," a spokesperson at US Embassy in Kathmandu told Republica Online on Sunday evening.

The top US official is holding separate meetings with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Defense Minister Ishwar Pokharel during his stay.

A diplomatic source confirmed that the US defense official will be discussing the Indo-Pacific strategy during his meeting with high-ranking officials in Kathmandu.

"The Indo-Pacific Strategy is our US policy. It is not a treaty, agreement, alliance, etc for Nepal to join. The Indo-Pacific Strategy covers the region and so Nepal is part of our Indo-Pacific Strategy and it will be discussed. However, there has been a lot of confusion and misunderstanding of what the Indo-Pacific Strategy actually is and he will also address that as well," an official at the US Embassy in Kathmandu said on a question regarding whether the top US official will discuss about Nepal's role in the Indo-Pacific strategy in his meetings with the Nepali officials.

 
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