No bilateral meetings planned with SAARC, Chinese leaders

KATHMANDU, Sept 21: Prime Minister KP Oli, who is leaving for New York on Saturday to address the 73rd session of UN General Assembly, is scheduled to visit Costa Rica, a central American country.

According to a press statement issued by Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Thursday, Prime Minister will leave New York for San Jose, Costa Rica on September 29 to have a bilateral meeting with the President of Costa Rica Carlos Alvarado Quesada. The prime minister is also scheduled to address the University for Peace based in San Jose, the Costa Rican capital.

While in New York, Prime Minister Oli will hold bilateral meetings with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Swiss President Alain Berset, and Cambodian Prime Minister Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen. However, no bilateral meetings have been scheduled with any of the South Asian leaders and Chinese leaders.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Bharat Raj Paudyal said appointments for meeting with top leaders from South Asian countries were not sought as Prime Minister Oli had meetings with most of these leaders during the fourth BIMSTEC summit in Kathmandu last month. “Foreign Minister [Pradeep Gyawali] is likely to hold meetings with his counterparts from SAARC countries,” said Paudyal.

The High Level Segment of the UNGA is beginning on September 25 with the theme of "Making the United Nations Relevant to All People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable Societies". Besides addressing the UNGA on September 27, Prime Minister Oli will address high-level plenary meeting of the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit on September 24 being organized to commemorate the centenary of the birth of Nelson Mandela.

While in New York, Prime Minister and his spouse Radhika Shakya will attend the reception to be hosted by President of the United States of America Donald Trump and Mrs Trump in the evening of September 24 and a luncheon hosted by the UN Secretary General on September 25.

The Prime Minister will deliver a statement at the High Level Meeting on Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) being hosted by the Secretary General of the United Nations on September 25, 2018. On the same day, the prime minister will deliver a public lecture on the theme "Peace, Democracy and Development" at the Asia Society.

Separately, Minister for Foreign Affairs Gyawali will participate, among others, in the Ministerial Meetings of the group of NAM, G77, LDC, LLDC and Group of Friends of Mediation. The foreign minister will also host an informal Ministerial Meeting of SAARC on September 27.

 
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