European Commission to continue its support to Nepal

Director for Asia at the External Relations of the European Commission, James Moran has said that the European Commission (EC) will continue it support to Nepal and its cooperation would mainly concentrate on education and peace building.

Talking to journalists in a press conference after completing the 5th Session of the EC-Nepal Joint Commission that took place and successfully concluded in Kathmandu on 14th February, Moran said he appreciated the improved human rights situation during the period of the present democratic government in Nepal.

The EC delegation expressed satisfaction with the way in which the on-going peace process was progressing and expressed confidence that its successful conclusion will help to establish lasting peace and democracy in Nepal. The EC side renewed its readiness to support Nepal’s transition to sustainable peace and democracy.

In response to queries about the amount of the European Union (EU) assistance to Nepal, Moran said the amount had not been finalised and more discussion and time was needed. The EC stated that the Country Strategy Paper (CSP) covering the period from 2007 to 2013 would soon be finalised and sought indications from the government of Nepal on the priority areas that could be incorporated in the CSP.

The bi-annual meeting reviewed the status of the EC-Nepal cooperation and exchanged views on future cooperation strategies in Nepal. The meeting also discussed the current political and economic situation of Nepal.

The meeting was co-chaired James Moran and Hira Bahadur Thapa, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in presence of the EU member states.

The EC-Nepal Joint Commission took place from 7th to 15th February to assess the preparations being made for the upcoming constituent polls on the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Nepal. nepalnews.com rh Feb 15 07