Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli and US Ambassador to Nepal Randy Berry had a meeting Tuesday evening amidst simmering diplomatic tension between the two countries about differences in their respective positions on recent political developments in Venezuela.
Ambassador Berry, who did not attend the government's briefing to foreign diplomats held in presence of PM KP Sharma Oli on Thursday, reached the PM's official residence in Baluwatar Tuesday evening.
Berry, who has been unhappy about the statement of Chairman of ruling CPN and former PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Venezuela and the subsequent government statement on the issue, had a one-on-one meeting with PM Oli. But neither the PM's Office nor the US Embassy has revealed what the two discussed during their meeting of almost half an hour. "We do not know what they talked as there was no one else present," a Baluwatar source told Setopati.
British Ambassador to Nepal Richard Morris and French Ambassador Francois-Xavier Leger, and Saudi Arabian Ambassador Abdulnaser bin Husien Al-Harthi also had formal meeting with PM Oli on Tuesday.
The government's foreign policy and the investment summit to be held in a couple of months were discussed during the meeting.
There has been some tension in diplomatic relation between Nepal and America, that was on a high following the meeting between Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington in mid-December, 2019, after Dahal's strong-worded statement.
CPN Chairman and former PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal issuing a press statement on January 25 had condemned the United States of America accusing it of attempting an imperialist coup in Venezuela.
"Communist Party of Nepal issues this statement in support of the people of Venezuela, the sovereignty of the state and the recognition of democratically elected constitutional President of Nicholas Maduro," the press statement issued in the name of Chairman Dahal on January 25 read, "Communist Party of Nepal also strongly denounces the US and its allies intervention in the internal affairs of Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela with the intention of increasing the violence by diving the people and challenging democracy, sovereignty and peace."
In the press release, Dahal accused the US of trying to create chaos and violence in Venezuela by putting inhuman economic sanctions and threatening military intervention. “It’s a serious challenge to the UN Charter and Principle of peaceful co-existence. Therefore, we call the US and other countries to respect the principle of noninterference, national sovereignty and peaceful co-existence.”
Juan Guaido on January 23 declared himself interim president claiming that the constitution gives him, as president of the congress, the authority to take over as interim president and form a transitional government until he calls new elections. The US and 16 nations of the Organization of American States immediately recognized Guaido as interim president.
Dahal had also appealed to the international community including the UN to stand in solidarity with the people of Venezuela in their struggle to defend the national and people’s sovereignty.
The US Embassy in Nepal had sought the government's official position on the political developments in the Latin American country after Dahal's statement and the Foreign Ministry on January 29 issuing a statement said the government believes that there should be no external interference in internal affairs of any country.
The US State Department also summoned Nepali Embassy in America Arjun Karki to clarify about Nepal government's position on the issue while US Ambassador to Nepal Randy Berry did not attend the government's briefing to foreign diplomats held in presence of PM KP Sharma Oli on Thursday.
The ruling CPN then reiterated its stance against American interference in Venezuela and said the problem there should be resolved by the Venezuelans independently and through peaceful means.
The party's secretariat meeting held at the PM's official residence in Baluwatar on Monday clarified the party's stance against American interference in Venezuela, and warned everybody concerned to not have any illusion about the issue and not indulge in misinformation about it.
