NEPAL LACKS FUNDS TO PARTICIPATE IN GLOBAL

UNCLAS KATHMANDU 000024 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR ISN/WMDT (DEXTER INGRAM),T (TIM SATSAPIS),AND SCA/INS DHS FOR TOM MCILVAIN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EWWT PARM PREL PTER KGIC AU IV EN KG NZ NP SUBJECT: NEPAL LACKS FUNDS TO PARTICIPATE IN GLOBAL INITIATIVE ACTIVITIES REF: A. STATE 169281 ¶B. STATE 168633 Nepal Will Not Send Delegate to Workshop -------------- ¶1. On January 3, Emboff informed Mani Bhattarai, Section Officer for UN and International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA),of the postponement of the detection architecture model guidelines workshop (Ref A) and the entry of four additional partner nations into the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (Ref B). Bhattarai asked how many countries were now part of the Global Initiative and whether the United States would provide funding for partner nation travel to the workshop. Bhattarai said the government of Nepal (GON) did not have the money to send anyone to the workshop, but perhaps resources for similar events would be allocated in the fiscal year beginning in July 2008. The Section Officer also commented that his government would have been unlikely to participate because the new event date was too close to Nepal's planned Constituent Assembly election in April. Comment -------------- ¶2. Bhattarai told Emboff the GON had yet to select a Global Initiative point of contact, and Emboff could continue to deliver updates to him. Post does not expect the host government to designate a technical expert any time soon, should one exist. The MFA has been receptive to receiving information about the Global Initiative, but it is clearly a low priority. POWELL