German MPs unhappy with EU-India statement
KATHMANDU, April 6: The Head of European Union (EU) Delegation to Nepal Rensje Teerink has made it clear to the government of Nepal that the EU hasn't changed its stance on Nepal's new constitution.
Teerink during her meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa clarified the EU's views as the latter asked if the Union's position vis-à-vis Nepal's constitution had changed from its statement which was issued immediately after the Constituent Assembly endorsed it through an overwhelming majority.
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"EU has always strongly supported Nepal's PP [peace process] & welcomed Constitution as historic step. We stand by that declaration," Teerink tweeted after she called on Thapa.
She herself sought appointment from Thapa reportedly to make EU's position clear on the constitution.
"She sought time from the deputy prime minister after the EU-India joint statement has drawn widespread," Mohan Shrestha, public relations and communication advisor to Thapa, told Republica.
During the meeting, Teerink also clarified that they had no intention at all to hurt the sentiments of Nepali people.
In a recent joint statement, the EU and India had asked Nepal to "address the remaining constitutional issues in a time bound manner".
Stating that it had hurt Nepali people's sentiments, the government had subsequently urged the two sides to refrain from making uncalled for statements.
Sources said the EU in Nepal is going to issue a fresh statement making its position vis-à-vis Nepal's new constitution clear.
EU's joining India in issuing the statement surprised many as the Union had earlier welcomed Nepal's new constitution.
German lawmakers unhappy with EU-India joint statement
A group of five German lawmakers who are on Nepal visit have said that they were unhappy with the recent EU-India joint statement on Nepal's constitution.
The visiting parliamentarians expressed their opinion during their interaction with Nepali lawmakers in Kathmandu on Tuesday.
Tabea Rossner, who led the team of visiting German parliamentarians, told Nepali lawmakers that they found inclusive and progressive features in Nepal's new constitution, according to UCPN (Maoist) lawmaker Ram Narayan Bidari, who was present during the interaction.
"We are also unhappy about the joint statement and we heard about it when we were already in Nepal," Bidari quoted Rossner as saying when some lawmakers during the interaction asked about their views on the statement.
