World Desk, AnyTV, Kathmandu
Published by: Surendra Joshi
Updated Thu, 10 Mar 2022 06:18 PM IST
Summary
Nepal’s Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka has now said that Nepal has always been in favor of world peace. He supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of smaller countries. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Nepal has supported the resolutions brought against it.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba
– Photo : Agency (File Photo)
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Expansion
After voting against Russia in the United Nations in the Ukraine dispute, the Nepal government has now started clarifying that it has not taken any side. In the recent meetings of the United Nations General Assembly and later the United Nations Human Rights Council, Nepal supported the resolutions brought against Russia. This was seen as a sign that the Nepali Congress-led coalition government had now shifted to the American side.
Earlier, the Government of Nepal, bypassing all opposition, had passed an approval proposal related to taking $ 500 million in aid from American organization Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). Nepal’s Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka has now said that Nepal has always been in favor of world peace. He supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of smaller countries. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Nepal has supported the resolutions brought against it. Observers have termed Khadka’s statement as significant. According to him, this is the first time after becoming the External Affairs Minister on September 22 last year, when Khadka held a press conference.
Appearance changed after Deuba government was formed
According to analysts, both the US and China have a lot of interference in Nepal. The stance of the Communist parties of Nepal is believed to be inclined towards China. Until recently, it was believed that China’s influence in Nepal is increasing, but after the formation of the government of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, the face has changed. The Deuba government’s stand that came out this month sent a message that Nepal was now joining the American camp. There is strong opposition in a section of Nepalese public opinion regarding this.
Different from the stand of China and India
Analysts have pointed out that the stand taken by Nepal this time is not only against China’s stand, but also different from India’s. India abstained from voting in the United Nations on both those occasions. This stand of the Deuba government has been strongly criticized by many leaders of Nepal. Former Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal, Communist Party of Nepal (UML) foreign policy chief Ranjan Bhattarai, and former Deputy Prime Minister Raghuveer Mahaseth have said the Deuba government has removed Nepal from its well-known policy of non-alignment.
Discomfort in the ruling coalition
According to some reports, the stand taken by the Government of Nepal on the Ukraine dispute, there is also uneasiness among the two communist parties involved in the ruling coalition – Maoist Center and Unified Socialist. Both these parties had earlier opposed the agreement with the MCC, but later they accepted the line of Prime Minister Deuba. It is said that immediately after that the Ukraine issue has also created an uncomfortable situation for these parties due to the pro-US stand of the government.
Now waiting for US response
Nepalese Foreign Minister Khadka’s clarification by holding a press conference has been seen in this connection. Now, what is the reaction of the anti-US camp on this, the eyes of observers are on seeing it.