According to the Ministry of Foreign Affair (MoFA), Chairman Regmi is scheduled to address the General Assembly on September 28 as per the provisional list of speakers released by the UN. Regmi will also take part in a high-level meeting of the General Assembly on disability and development to be held on September 23 -- a day before the UNGA General Debate formally kicks off.[break]
MoFA spokesperson Dipak Dhital said Nepal´s Permanent Mission in New York is arranging sideline meetings with heads of state and government from various countries that are of huge importance to Nepal. "We are arranging sideline meetings with the heads of state or government that are important to Nepal. The meetings are yet to be confirmed," he said.
Efforts are underway to arrange meetings with leaders of neighboring countries, including Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on the sidelines of the UNGA.
Regmi is also scheduled attend a talk program at Columbia University on Nepal´s current political situation and hold an interaction with the local Nepalese community during his stay in New York.
Regmi´s delegation includes his spouse, Minister for Foreign Affairs Madhav Ghimire, who also holds the Home Ministry portfolio, Foreign Secretary Arjun Bahadur Thapa, Secretary of the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers Surya Prasad Silwal, Chief of Protocol Kali Prasad Pokharel and MoFA spokesperson Dhital, who heads the UN Division at MoFA.
Regmi´s chief personal secretary Prakash Regmi, section officer at the chairman´s personal secretariat Saroj Regmi, two security guards and two journalists from Nepal Television are also among members of the delegation. Officials at MoFA said four other members including Nepal´s Permanent Representative to the UN Durga Prasad Bhattarai will join the Nepalese delegation in New York.
MoFA officials said Foreign Minister Ghimire is scheduled to leave for Washington DC on September 17-- four days before Chairman Regmi´s departure for New York. Ghimire will join Regmi in New York on September 23 after participating in a meeting of the Nepal caucus of US Congressmen. The delegation will fly back home on September 30.
The proposed visit of Chairman Regmi and Minister Ghimire has drawn flak from various quarters as the absence of the government head and the minister tasked with the responsibility for ensuring a conducive security environment for the constituent assembly polls for such a long time may affect poll prospects.
"The visit should not be taken in a negative light. We have arranged the visit [of Chairman Regmi] as Nepal has been participating in the UNGA at the highest political level each year," added spokesperson Dhital.
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