NEPAL: GLOBAL INITIATIVE UPDATES DELIVERED

UNCLAS KATHMANDU 000793 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL PTER KGIC KNNP JO IN RS NP SUBJECT: NEPAL: GLOBAL INITIATIVE UPDATES DELIVERED REF: A. STATE 69620 ¶B. KATHMANDU 317 Joint Demarche Delivered to Foreign Ministry -------------- ¶1. (SBU) On July 3, Emboff and Igor Gavrichev, Minister Counsellor from the Embassy of the Russian Federation, informed Rudra Nepal, Under Secretary for the UN and International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that India and Jordan had become partner nations of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism as per Ref A request. Gavrichev also gave the Under Secretary a non-paper summarizing the outcome of the Fourth Meeting of the Global Initiative in Madrid, Spain. Rudra Nepal said that lack of funds and technical expertise continued to prevent the Government of Nepal (GON) from forming an inter-ministry committee to handle Global Initiative issues (Ref B). Gavrichev emphasized the importance of the program and how pleased the U.S. and Russia are about the GON's membership. Comment -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The GON continues to show minimal interest in the Global Initiative. Domestic concerns -- including the formation of a new government, which has remained in limbo since the Constituent Assembly election on April 10 -- is likely to keep the Global Initiative a non-priority for the GON. Nevertheless, post is hopeful that India's entrance as a partner nation might persuade Nepal to invest some energy in the Global Initiative in the interest of keeping up with its larger, powerful neighbor. BERRY