Cablegate: Nepal: Global Initiative Updates Delivered

VZCZCXRO4842
OO RUEHCI
DE RUEHKT #0793 1931100
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 111100Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8845
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 6570
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO PRIORITY 6881
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 2180
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 4921
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 6140
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 2537
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA PRIORITY 4253
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 3262

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
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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
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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

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