Kathmandu, July 28
Donald Lu, the United States assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs, is coming to Nepal on Friday in a rather unexpected move for Kathmandu.
Neither Nepal nor the US has said anything about the visit officially. Yet, an official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says Lu will land at the Kathmandu airport this evening.
As there is no official statement about the visit, nothing is known about his agenda in Kathmandu officially. However, it is highly likely that he will meet Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Foreign Affairs Minister Narayan Khadka among other officials.
Lu was in Kathmandu in November last year on an official visit, and he is said to be a key person behind convincing Nepal to endorse the controversial Millennium Challenge Corporation deal.
Donald Lu is visiting Nepal weeks after the government here has decided not to be a part of the US government’s State Partnership Program. Hence, observers have kept an eye on his engagements here.
The government last month decided to withdraw from the project after a draft of the agreement leaked by the media exposed the possibility of the US troops staying in Nepal for an indefinite period, inviting criticism from stakeholders. However, it is yet to officially inform the US of the decision.
