FM says Prez‚ PM failing in diplomatic norms
KATHMANDU: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha has taken serious exception to recent diplomatic engagements of President Ram Baran Yadav and Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai.
Talking with a select group of journalists at his office today, DPM Shrestha accused the President and PM of breaching diplomatic code of conduct while meeting foreign leaders and envoys.
According to Shrestha, both the President and PM ‘breached the basic diplomatic decorum and moral code’ by allowing Amresh Kumar Singh in when the two were holding a crucial meeting at Shital Niwas on November 23. “Amresh is a suspicious character and does not hold any official position,” said Shrestha of the Nepali Congress nominee for Parliament during 2006-2007. “Nowhere in the world do the Head of State and head of the government keep a third party while they have a one-on-one meeting,” Shrestha argued. On November 23, the prime minister had gone to Shital Niwas to brief the President on that day’s Cabinet decision. DPM Shrestha also expressed his grievances against the President and PM for keeping the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ‘in the dark’ about their meeting with some influential foreign envoys .
On November 20, the day the budget was announced, ‘an influential foreign envoy met both the President and the PM repeatedly’ without securing an approval from MoFA, said Shrestha. “Taking MoFA’s approval prior to any such meeting is mandatory as per the Diplomatic Code of Conduct, 2011.”
“Earlier, I had informally requested the President twice to follow the diplomatic code of conduct while meeting foreign envoys. I also urged the prime minister to respect the code of conduct, but to no avail,” said Shrestha. “As foreign minister, I will soon call on the President and lodge a formal protest.”
Shrestha also said that his ministry had no official knowledge about the recent visit of the leader of India's ruling Congress party Karan Singh.
Talking with a select group of journalists at his office today, DPM Shrestha accused the President and PM of breaching diplomatic code of conduct while meeting foreign leaders and envoys.
According to Shrestha, both the President and PM ‘breached the basic diplomatic decorum and moral code’ by allowing Amresh Kumar Singh in when the two were holding a crucial meeting at Shital Niwas on November 23. “Amresh is a suspicious character and does not hold any official position,” said Shrestha of the Nepali Congress nominee for Parliament during 2006-2007. “Nowhere in the world do the Head of State and head of the government keep a third party while they have a one-on-one meeting,” Shrestha argued. On November 23, the prime minister had gone to Shital Niwas to brief the President on that day’s Cabinet decision. DPM Shrestha also expressed his grievances against the President and PM for keeping the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ‘in the dark’ about their meeting with some influential foreign envoys .
On November 20, the day the budget was announced, ‘an influential foreign envoy met both the President and the PM repeatedly’ without securing an approval from MoFA, said Shrestha. “Taking MoFA’s approval prior to any such meeting is mandatory as per the Diplomatic Code of Conduct, 2011.”
“Earlier, I had informally requested the President twice to follow the diplomatic code of conduct while meeting foreign envoys. I also urged the prime minister to respect the code of conduct, but to no avail,” said Shrestha. “As foreign minister, I will soon call on the President and lodge a formal protest.”
Shrestha also said that his ministry had no official knowledge about the recent visit of the leader of India's ruling Congress party Karan Singh.
Sabaikhabar.com
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