During the meeting, views were exchanged in regard to the stalled Constitution making process and the resumption of the process from the point it was left out. It was conveyed that dialogue and consensus building which was going on among the political parties on a continued basis would help find the way forward to finish the remaining task.[break]
The Prime Minister apprised the Secretary General of the recent development on the integration of the Maoist combatants into the national army.
During the meeting, the UN Secretary General emphasized the need to establish transitional justice mechanism including disappearance commission as early as possible. He advised that a human rights team attached to the UN Country team could help Nepal in facilitating the protection and promotion of human rights in Nepal in cooperation with the National Human Rights Commission.
The Secretary General thanked Nepal for its role and continued contribution in the peacekeeping operation of the United Nations. He took a keen interest in the Lumbini Development Project and asked the Nepalese side to take leadership and ownership of the project with full political commitment so that it could attract the support of the relevant international community. On the part of the UN, the Secretary General showed commitment to muster support for the project.
The Prime Minister said that Nepal would be able to meet most of the MDG targets with enhanced support from the development partners and would like to pursue further development agenda through SDGs in the post-2015 development phase. He appreciated the SG for the important role played by the UN in moving the peace process forward.
Also on Thursday evening, the Prime Minister had a sideline meeting with Dr. Jose R. Machado Ventura, Vice President of Cuba and leader of the delegation, and exchanged views on various aspects of experiences gained by the two countries. Both leaders felt the need to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation in possible areas.
Similarly, Deputy Prime Minister had bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Iran and Bolivia on the sidelines of the NAM Summit on Thursday. During the interaction with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, both leaders felt the need to strengthen relations between the two countries and to explore possible areas of cooperation for mutual benefit.
The Iranian Foreign Minister suggested that Iran could be good tourist originating market for Nepal and it should be promoted to pave the way for cooperation in other areas.
During the meeting with Bolivian Foreign Minister Mr. David Choquehuanes, both leaders shared mutual experiences in the political and socio-economic development process in their respective countries.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Mohammad Ahamadinejad hosted a dinner in honour of the Heads of State and Governments attending the 16th summit conference of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) here on Thursday.
Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Narayan Kaji Shrestha, , Foreign Secretary Durga Prasad Bhattarai and Chief of Protocol Dr. Niranjan Man Singh Basnet attended the dinner.
The dinner was organized at the famous Persian Gulf Hall. The traditional Iranian art and dances were showcased on the occasion.
In a statement on the occasion, Iran´s President Ahamadinejad said his country wanted to extend a hand of friendship to all the countries and that there was no need to harbor animosity with anyone.
The Iranian President on the occasion showed his respect to the Nepali delegation including Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai and said that Iran has deep respect for Nepal.
President Ahamadinejad held one-on-one talks and group meetings with the participating leaders during the dinner which lasted for about four hours.
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