Even two hours after media broke news of Wen´s much-talked-about visit, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayankaji Shrestha said the visit was still not certain.[break]
"It has not yet been fixed. I will let you know once it is finalized," Shrestha told Republica as he came out of a meeting with Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai and officials of the prime minister´s office on preparations for the visit, Friday evening.
Even the Chinese foreign ministry website was silent about Nepal visit although it has published a schedule of Wen´s visit which says he is visiting the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar from Jan 14-19.
The meeting was kept so secret that even President Ram Baran Yadav was informed only on Friday morning that Wen was coming to Shital Niwas for a meeting on Saturday afternoon.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had reached Shital Niwas Friday morning to inform the president about his meeting with Wen at 3 p.m., Saturday, according to government sources. The president then had to change his already fixed schedule. He was scheduled to fly to Lumbini to inaugurate a function to mark Visit Lumbini Year.
A source at the President´s office told Republica that MoFA officials had asked the president and officials at Shital Niwas to keep the meeting secret.
Same is the case with Constituent Assembly Chairman Subas Nembang. MoFA had asked him not to schedule any appointments and functions between 11 am to 4 pm on Saturday but he was not told the reason. Then he had to inquire why he was asked to keep himself free during the time, sources said.
Foreign Ministry officials said they did not know about the visit until media broke the news about Wen´s visit at around 4 pm. Sources said MoFA officials were asked to write to the Tribhuvan International Airport for diplomatic flight clearance on Saturday but were not told who is coming and at what time. Generally, such a letter in the past used to specify who was coming and at what time, government officials said.
"This is to keep the arrival time a secret," said an informed government source on condition of anonymity.
Finance Ministry officials were surprised when they got a phone call from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at around 4 pm Friday to remain on standby for meetings. By then, Finance Secretary Krishna Hari Banskota had already left for home due to fever.
It was only at 4:30 that the prime minister´s office finalized the order of the food to be served to Wen and his delegation.
Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai, Deputy Prime Minister Shrestha and officials from the prime minister´s office had called a manager of the Soaltee Crowne Plaza at around 4:30 pm to finalize the lunch order. The lunch will be served at the prime minister´s office, sources said.
Chinese officials at the Ministry
Chinese officials had reached MoFA at dusk. They had reached the ministry in a medium-sized Nissan bus with registration number 11 CD 12. As this team left the ministry at around 6:30 pm, another team of Chinese embassy officials reached the ministry at 7:21 pm to hold meeting with MoFA officials to finalize agenda and the details of the visit.
New red carpet at PMO
The prime minister´s office changed its red carpets on Friday evening after officials found the existing carpets were old. Officials at the prime minister´s office had called DS Furnitures, Chabahil to supply the carpet at around 2 pm. The supplier delivered the carpets in the evening.
Bilateral meeting at PMO
Officials confirmed to Republica that all the bilateral meetings during Wen´s visit will take place at the prime minister´s office.
PM calls Koirala
Though Wen´s meeting with top leaders of major political parties has been kept secret, the prime minister on Friday called Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala, who was in Nepalgunj, to come to Kathmandu. Laxman Dhakal, Koirala´s personal secretary, confirmed to Republica that Wen is meeting Koirala but Koirala was not informed about the time and venue of the meeting till 10:12 pm.
But it was not clear till late evening whether Wen will meet CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal. Khanal´s personal secretary Ram Babu Adhikari said he is unaware about any such meeting.
Mercedes Benz for Chinese PM
Sources said the government has prepared a bullet-proof Mercedes Benz for taking the Chinese premier to the prime minister´s office. Sources told Republica that the MoFA sent the vehicles to the Nepal Army on Thursday afternoon to check security aspects of the vehicles.
The government has arranged an additional vehicle and was supposed to give it to the Nepal Army Friday mid-night for a final security check-up. The vehicle was used by a visiting UNICEF official until Friday night.
"We have been told that the Chinese embassy will arrange other vehicles for other members of the Chinese delegation," said another government source.
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