NEPAL TO SUPPORT U.S. CANDIDATE FOR CODEX

UNCLAS KATHMANDU 000682 SIPDIS ROME FOR MISSION TO FAO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ECON ETRD TBIO KPAO NP SUBJECT: NEPAL TO SUPPORT U.S. CANDIDATE FOR CODEX REF: SECSTATE 50336 Post Formally Requests Support For U.S. Candidate -------------- -------------- ¶1. (U) On June 2, per reftel Post sent a diplomatic note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with copies to the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoAC),requesting the Government of Nepal's (GON's) support for the U.S. nominee to chair the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex),Dr. Karen Hulebak. The note informed the GON that the Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization commission will be holding its 31st session in Geneva June 30-July 4. The MoAC copies went to the Secretary of Agriculture, Mr. Tek Bahadur Thapa, and the Director General of the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control, Mr. Uttam Kumar Bhattarai. Agriculture Secretary Supportive; MFA Uninformed -------------- --- ¶2. (U) On June 4, Mr. Thapa assured Emboffs of Nepal's support for Dr. Hulebak's candidacy. On June 5, Mr. Bhattarai confirmed to Emboff that Nepal supported the U.S. candidate, whom he said he knew personally and held in high regard. Bhattarai added, however, that the GON would not be able to send a representative to the meeting, and expressed uncertainty about how Nepal's support would be communicated. In a separate conversation on June 16, Mr. Rudra Nepal, Under Secretary for UN and International Organizations Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA),stated that the GON had not made a final decision on this, but it was likely that the MFA would inform Nepal's permanent representative to the UN in Geneva of their support for Dr. Hulebak's candidacy and authorize the representative to vote on behalf of Nepal. POWELL