NEPAL'S PRIORITIES FOR 63RD UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 001068 SENSITIVE SIPDIS IO/UNP (SUN),USUN (TBD),NSC (MCDONALD),P (REINEMEYER), SCA/RA (MAZZONE) AND SCA/INS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/23/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER OVIP KSEP UNGA CH IN RS GG SU, NP SUBJECT: NEPAL'S PRIORITIES FOR 63RD UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY REF: A. KATHMANDU 1049 ¶B. STATE 99672 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Randy W. Berry. Reasons 1.4 (b/d). Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) On September 19, Rudra Nepal, Joint Secretary for UN and International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA),told Emboffs that the priorities for the Government of Nepal (GON) at the 63rd UN General Assembly included landlocked least-developed countries, food security, the environment, and UN reforms. Emboff described some of the U.S. priorities as per Ref B. The Joint Secretary noted that several of the GON's and U.S.'s priorities overlap, although the GON has yet to take a stance on the more sensitive political issues -- Georgia and Kosovo in particular. The MFA official also provided additional travel details for the Prime Minister's and Foreign Minister's delegations, the key points of which Post reported in Ref A. Geographical Issues -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On September 19, Rudra Nepal, Joint Secretary for UN and International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA),indicated that the event that most interested his government's delegation to the 63rd UN General Assembly would be a follow-up to the 2003 Almaty conference on issues affecting landlocked least-developed countries on October 2-3, which Foreign Minister Upendra Yadav would attend. The Joint Secretary said that the GON was specifically concerned about food security, climate and other environmental issues that Nepal's unique geography makes salient. He was pleased that the U.S. shared these priorities. Millennium Development Goals -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Joint Secretary Nepal revealed that Prime Minister Pushpa Dahal intended to speak briefly at "a roundtable for poverty and hunger" on September 25. Emboff informed the MFA official that USAID Administrator Henrietta Fore would also participate in this event -- Secretary General Ban's High-Level Event on Millennium Development Goals (MDG) -- and provided U.S. objectives for a discussion about MDGs as per Ref B. UN Reform -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The Joint Secretary volunteered the GON's interest in UN reforms. He glossed over specifics but assured Emboffs that the GON shared similar goals with the USG. Emboff conveyed U.S. objectives with an eye toward consensus as per Ref B. Georgia -------------- ¶5. (C) The Joint Secretary said that the GON had not decided its position regarding Georgia. In early September, the Ambassador had strongly encouraged Foreign Minister Yadav to uphold Georgia's territorial integrity and to oppose Russia's move to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. On September 8, the acting head of the Americas and Europe Division in the MFA told the then-acting Deputy Chief of Mission that the GON was waiting for a South Asian consensus to emerge before taking a public position on the conflict. Kosovo KATHMANDU 00001068 002 OF 002 -------------- ¶6. (C) The Joint Secretary said that the GON had not decided its position regarding Kosovo. Rudra Nepal acknowledged the USG's continued interest in recognizing the independence of Kosovo and opposition toward a resolution requesting an International Court of Justice advisory opinion. The GON, wary about setting a precedent for secessionist elements along Nepal's southern border and keen for a regional consensus, has yet to decide whether it plans to do anything other than abstain from votes regarding Kosovo. Sudan/Darfur -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Rudra Nepal expressed interest in developments regarding the United Nations - African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). The United States has sponsored training for 200 Nepal Police and Armed Police Force officers to deploy in Formed Police Units to UNAMID. Emboff conveyed that the U.S. intends to continue the train and equip program and, although we have not taken a position on a proposed UNSC resolution, we support accountability in Darfur. Travel of Delegation -------------- ¶8. (SBU) The Joint Secretary said that Prime Minister Pushpa Dahal, who will be in New York September 22-28, is scheduled to address the Assembly the morning of September 26. Foreign Minister Yadav, who is to arrive in New York on September 28, has yet to schedule his address to the Assembly. Yadav plans to visit Washington October 4-6 for consultations with Members of Congress and State Department officials. Rudra Nepal will arrive in New York with the Foreign Minister's delegation on September 28 and accompany Yadav to Washington. (Note: The Joint Secretary is to remain in Washington after the official visit on holiday with his son, who resides in the area. End note.) Comment -------------- ¶9. (C) The 63rd session of UNGA will be a significant event for the GON as it marks the first official visits by the leadership of the new Maoist-led government to the U.S. Local media have made a big deal about what they perceive to be the possibility that Prime Minister Dahal's presence on American soil -- and a much-ballyhooed, potential handshake with the President of the United States on September 22 -- would lead to formal approval of the new government and the removal of the Maoists' terrorist designations. Nepali officials have admitted privately that the GON does not expect the USG to make any sudden changes in policy as a result of the high-level visits. Likewise, Post does not expect Prime Minister Dahal or Foreign Minister Yadav to use UNGA to announce any major shifts in policy. Rhetoric aside, we expect that the GON will maintain its traditionally cautious position and preference to abstain on global issues, especially those where China and, more importantly, India have yet to take a strong position. BERRY