US Ambassador to Nepal, Scott H. DeLisi, conveyed the US willingness to support the peace process even after UNMIN´s exit, during a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sujata Koirala at the latter´s office at Narayanhiti Palace on Friday. [break]
"I wanted to reaffirm to her the US government´s commitment to work with Nepal to support the peace process any way we can, especially in light of UNMIN´s departure in January," the US envoy said in a brief interview to Republica after the meeting.
To a question whether US assistance to the government in the process of integration and rehabilitation also featured during the meeting, DeLisi said, "I reaffirmed to her we are absolutely committed to support the process of integration and rehabilitation. But while we are committed to support the process, I think it is important that we hear from the government of Nepal, the Special Committee and from various actors as to what is important for them."
The US commitment to support the rehabilitation and integration process comes at a time when the government is making preparations to approach major donors for financial assistance to support a plan to manage over 19,000 Maoist combatants. The government has already requested the World Bank for help over this. Officials at the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction say the government is currently waiting for a rehabilitation package to be offered to Maoist combatants who opt to return to their respective communities.
Asked to comment on general concern over the peace process loosing momentum again despite some optimistic developments in mid-September, DeLisi said, "I was delighted when I left for Washington in late September to be able to say the peace process has some momentum. Yes, at the moment it seems a little bit slower."
Saying that the peace process has seen ups and downs, the US envoy, who returned from Washington last week, said the US "would like to see the momentum of the process of integration and rehabilitation picked up and to be moved more quickly".
Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala said DeLisi told her that the US will increase aid in the sectors of health, agriculture and development.
Amend adoption law
The ambassador also told Koirala that the US wanted to see an amendment in the adoption law, according to a source. Currently, the US government, along with other western governments, has suspended inter-country adoption from Nepal as the adoption system was found mired in flaws and fraudulent practices.
kiran@myrepublica.com
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