PM Dahal returns home; dubs New York trip as fruitful
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal returned home on Tuesday, wrapping up a
ten-day tour to the United States where he attended the 63rd session of
the United Nations General Assembly and met a number of world leaders
including US President George W. Bush.
Speaking to the press on his arrival at the Tribhuvan International
Airport, the PM said the visit was successful as it was an important
opportunity to apprise the international community on the recent political
change in Nepal, ongoing peace process and the constitution-making
process.
Dahal said most leaders that he met on the sidelines of the General
Assembly session were curious about the changes that have taken pace in
Nepal.
"In all bilateral meetings, the Prime Minister highlighted the far
reaching political transformation process that is underway in Nepal and
expressed his commitment to bring about rapid socio-economic
transformation in the country concurrently," a release issued by the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Explaining about his meeting with US President Bush, PM Dahal described
the brief encounter with Bush during a reception as a positive development
in the backdrop of bad relations between the Maoist party and the US.
According to him, there was no discussion with the President on removing
CPN-Maoist from the US terror list, but the issue did figure in his
meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian
Affairs, Richard Boucher.
"We are moving a step further in terms of the relation with the Maoist
party and we will see to matters concerning the terrorist list," he quoted
Boucher as saying. Dahal added that the meetings with the top US leaders
were an indication of the improving relations between his party and the
US.
During his stay in New York, PM had also met UN Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon and discussed Nepal's peace process and the UN engagement in it.
Reports said the UNSG accepted his invitation for a visit to Nepal,
possibly next month.
PM Dahal was accompanied by his wife Sita and son Prakash, apart from half
a dozen senior government officials, during the visit.
This was his third foreign trip within two months of becoming the first
Prime Minister of republican Nepal. Earlier, he had visited the two
immediate neighbours - China and India. nepalnews.com mk Sept 30 08
