Indian envoy, UNMIN chief meet M K Nepal

July 24th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Amidst the growing controversy over the resumption of Indian military assistance to Nepal, the UN Friday said such a gesture would violate the peace pact between the former Maoist guerrillas and ruling parties that ended a decade of violence in the Himalayan nation. The row was triggered Tuesday when Nepal's Defence Minister Vidya Bhandari met her Indian counterpart A.K.

July 23rd, 2009 UNITED NATIONS - The UN Security Council Thursday decided to extend its mission in Nepal by six months until January next year. The decision was taken through a vote by the Security Council members.

June 18th, 2009 KATHMANDU - European diplomats have urged Nepal to extend the terms of the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), media reports said Thursday. The call came during a meeting between Nepal's Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala and diplomats from the European Union (EU) countries based in Kathmandu Wednesday, Nepal Samacharpatra newspaper reported.

May 20th, 2009 KATHMANDU - The United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) defended itself late Tuesday against criticism from Nepalese political parties over its role in the verification process of Maoist combatants. The verification process is supposed to aid the integration of genuine Maoist rebels into the Nepalese army as part of a peace deal.

May 11th, 2009 KATHMANDU - The turmoil in Nepal triggered by the fall of the Maoist government last week deepened Monday with the main opposition party, the Nepali Congress, stepping up its campaign against the UN, accusing the world body of having blundered during its screening of the Maoist army two years ago. Cadres of Nepal Tarun Dal, the youth wing of the opposition, Monday demonstrated in front of the office of the UN's political unit in Kathmandu, the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), accusing the later of failing in its mandate to verify the Maoist army, the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

May 8th, 2009 KATHMANDU - The political wing of the UN, which made a controversial entry in Nepal two years ago to assist the peace process, is likely to get a new lease of life after its term ends in July. The UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) was established in January 2007 at the insistence of the Maoist guerrillas though Nepal's southern neighbour India had opposed the entry in the beginning.

May 8th, 2009 KATHMANDU - After blaming India for the failure to sack the army chief and accusing it of interfering in his country's internal matters, Nepal's caretaker Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda Friday held out the olive branch to New Delhi, saying his government had no bias against it. The Maoist supremo -- who had also in an embarrassing videotape leaked this week given a different account of the strength of his guerrilla fighters and said 'reactionary' India and the US would scuttle elections if they suspected the Maoists could win -- Friday called the Indian ambassador Rakesh Sood to his official residence for talks.

May 8th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Nepal's biggest opposition party Nepali Congress Friday stepped up its call for a fresh headcount of Maoist guerrilla fighters after a videotape showed Maoist chief and caretaker premier Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda saying he had inflated their number nearly fivefold. Sushil Koirala, one of the top leaders of the party, asked for a fresh verification of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), saying the UN that had conducted the count had been proved to be erroneous as well as biased.

May 2nd, 2009 KATHMANDU - Japan's Vice Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi will arrive here on a two-day visit today. During his visit, Kishi will inspect the activities of the Japanese Arms Monitors working under the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) to familiarise himself with the activities of UNMIN.

May 1st, 2009 KATHMANDU - Japan's Vice Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi will arrive here on a two-day visit on Saturday. During his visit, Kishi will inspect the activities of the Japanese Arms Monitors working under the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) to familiarise himself with the activities of UNMIN.

April 22nd, 2009 KATHMANDU - Indian Ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood met Prime Minister Prachnada twice in 24 hours over the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) clarification episode. During the meeting, which lasted for half an hour, Sood reportedly expressed 'concern' over the government order to Nepal Army chief, seeking his clarification for "challenging civilian supremacy".

April 19th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Nepali Prime Minister Prachanda has told British Under Secretary of State for Defense and Minister for Veterans Kevan Jones that the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) may be asked to stop work after the integration of the army and the rehabilitation of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) combatants by July. Jones, in his departure statement at the end of his five-day visit to Nepal, said that the people of Nepal could be assured of Britain's steadfast support, both for peace building and for development.

April 19th, 2009 KATHMANDU - The UN, which played a key role in Nepal's peace process that saw an end to 10 years' communist insurgency and an election that made the Himalayan kingdom the world's newest republic, may be asked to wind up its peace agency this year. Nepal's Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, whose former guerrilla party had insisted on UN monitoring when it began peace talks with a coalition government two years ago, has now indicated that the peace agency could have its role come to a logical end by July.

March 27th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Indian Ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood urged cooperation from the Nepal Government for maintaining security along the border in view of the upcoming general elections in India. Sood urged this during the meeting with Prime Minister Prachanda here on Thursday.

January 6th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Though the growing dispute over the ouster of Indian priests at Nepal's revered Pashupatinath temple has saddened some Indians, it would however not hurt India-Nepal ties, India's top envoy in Nepal has said. Rakesh Sood, India's ambassador to Nepal, said that Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda has pledged that his government would obey the orders of the Supreme Court in this regard.