NEPAL'S NEWLY APPOINTED AMBASSADOR TO INDIA

UNCLAS KATHMANDU 000105 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR SA/INS GREG BAYER AND DAVID GOOD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PINR PGOV PREL NP SUBJECT: NEPAL'S NEWLY APPOINTED AMBASSADOR TO INDIA ¶1. His Majesty's Government of Nepal (GON) announced the appointment of Karna Dhoj Adhikari as its Ambassador to India on December 12, 2003. Ambassador-designate Adhikari will replace acting Nepali CDA Pradeep Khatiwata, who has been GON's representative since Ambassador Bekh Bahadur Thapa returned to Kathmandu on August 15, 2003 to become de facto Foreign Minister. Following is some biographical information on Ambassador-designate Adhikari: ¶2. (SBU) Karna Dhoj Adhikari, before his recent appointment, has served in various high-level government posts. He was one of the facilitators for the government-Maoist peace talks in April of 2003. He served as Chief Secretary, Secretary of Finance (1981),and Secretary of the Ministry SIPDIS of Home and Panchayat (1979-1981). Earlier appointments included Secretary in the Ministry of Water and Power (1976- 1979),and Acting Secretary of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Irrigation (1974). Adhikari is a member of the Raj Parisad Standing Committee. (NOTE: The previous King formed the Raj Parisad Standing Committee, which consists of a maximum of 15 members, including the Chairman of the Raj Parisad, and the following ex-officio members: Prime Minister, Chief Justice, Speaker of the Lower House, Chairman of the National Assembly, Bada Guruju (head priest) and Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Nepal Army. The Standing Committee of the Raj Parisad submits recommendations on matters referred to it by the King, and carries out functions relating to the Royal Family. END NOTE). ¶3. Ambassador-designate Adhikari is an engineer by profession. He has served as the Chairman and General Manager of Narayani Irrigation Project (1975-1976) and as Chief Engineer in the Department of Irrigation (1961). Adhikari started his career in 1955, by joining the Rapti Valley Development Project as an Assistant Engineer. ¶4. Adhikari served as the Ex-officio Member of the National Planning Commission (1981),of the National Commission of Population (1982),and of the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation (1984). ¶5. Ambassador-designate Adhikari was born on October 10, 1931, and holds a Bachelors degree in Engineering. He was married to the late Dipti Adhikari, and has two sons and one daughter. BOGGS