Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, Kelly Clements visited Bhutan from June 2 to 5 and Nepal from June 5 to 6, to discuss humanitarian protection and assistance issues for refugees and other vulnerable populations in the region.[break]
"In Bhutan, DAS Clements met with government leaders to urge Bhutan to take tangible immediate steps to help resolve the protracted refugee situation in Nepal as a sign of Bhutan’s commitment to democratic values and human rights," the US embassy said in a statement on Monday.
The embassy further said, "During these fruitful discussions, the government of Bhutan reiterated its April 2011 offer to the government of Nepal to engage once again in bilateral discussions as soon as possible on the modalities for voluntary return and reintegration of refugees with legitimate citizenship claims to Bhutan".
The government of Bhutan has agreed to examine other ways to resolve this humanitarian situation in a humane and an expedient manner, especially for the most vulnerable, the embassy further said of the meeting between Clements and Bhutanese officials.
Clements stressed that the U.S. government and the international community are ready to help the governments of Bhutan and Nepal to support a process to manage the return and reintegration of refugees, once agreements are reached.
In the meantime, Clements also met government officials during her two-day stay in Nepal to urge the government to ensure safe transit of new arrivals of Tibetan refugees to India and to respect the basic rights of Tibetan residents in Nepal.
"DAS Clements also expressed concerns of the U.S. government regarding the population of stateless persons in Nepal," the embassy said in their statement.
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