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The Kathmandu Post

Publication Date : 19-03-2013

United Nations Under Secretary General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman is arriving in Kathmandu today to reaffirm the principal global policy-making body's commitment to support Nepal's peace process.

He is scheduled to meet with President Ram Baran Yadav, Chairman of Interim Election Government Khil Raj Regmi, top leaders of the four major political parties and diplomats based in Kathmandu, among others, during his three-day visit. Feltman is the senior most UN diplomat to visit Nepal after the departure of the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) in January 2011.

The visiting UN official will call on all political actors to create a conducive atmosphere for the next Constituent Assembly elections and implement the outstanding commitments related to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in November 2006. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had announced Feltman's visit in a statement last Thursday to welcome the appointment of the Interim Election Government.

A Foreign Ministry source said Feltman is scheduled to meet with Chief of Army Staff Gen Gaurav SJB Rana. He will also visit the Kharipati-based Nepal Army's Military Academy where around 70 former Maoist combatants integrated into the national Army are receiving officer's cadet training.

Chief of Asia-Pacific Division of the UN's Department of Political Affairs, Mari Yamashita, who arrived here on Friday, will accompany Feltman during the talks. Feltman succeeded former Under Secretary General for Political Affairs B Lynn Pascoe in July 2012, while Mari succeeded Samuel Tamrat in November 2012.

Both Pascoe and Tamrat were closely involved in Nepal's peace process and had played key roles for holding the Constituent Assembly elections in 2008 and monitoring the management of the PLA arms and armies through Unmin before it wrapped up its Nepal operations.