US envoy 'absent' in the government briefing

US ambassador to Nepal Randy Berry today skipped the government’s briefing to foreign diplomats based in Kathmandu. Instead deputy chief of Mission of the US Embassy Michael C Gonzales was presented in the government briefing – the third of its kind after the KP Sharma Oli-led government was formed almost a year ago – where ambassadors and deputy chiefs of missions from all diplomatic missions were present, according to the Foreign Ministry.
US ambassador to Nepal Berry’s 'conspicuous' absence to the government briefing has, however, made some eyebrows raised due to latest tension between US and Nepal on Venezuela.
The ruling party’s co-chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on January 25 issued a statement against the US 'involvement' on Republic of Venezuela’s current state-of-affairs. The US – through the Embassy in Kathmandu and also in Washington – sought the government's official view following the Dahal's statement as he is the co-chairman of the ruling party. The government, though, issued another formal statement – on January 29 – arguing that Nepal still follows the no aligned policy but the statement was almost in line with the Dahal's statement.
The US State Department had sought an explanation from Nepali ambassador to US Arjun Karki – in the Washington DC – following Dahal's statement that supported Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and denounced ‘intervention in internal affairs’ of Venezuela by the US and its allies. Senior officials from the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs at the State Department asked Nepali envoy Karki in Washington DC to submit clarification as – according to the US official – the US did not expect such statement from the leader of the ruling NCP (NCP) without any background on the internal affairs of Venezuela.
Though, the government tried to make its position clear in the issue of political crisis in Venezuela, the US has not been convinced.
The absence of the US envoy today in the government briefing in Kathmandu is diplomatic answer of the US to Nepal, according to a foreign policy expert. The US Embassy has currently been engaging with political leaders, high-level government officials and media to discuss the US government’s position on Venezuela also due to the government’s weak attempt to clarify its position.

Nepal tries to correct diplomatic blunder

After the 'diplomatic blunder' by the party co-chairman Puspa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) led government has claimed that it stands for peace, stability and unity of Venezuela. "Nepal calls for resolution of differences through peaceful means," a press note released today by the Foreign Ministry reads.
It also said that the people of Venezuela have the ultimate right to take a decision on the country’s political and constitutional course. "We have been closely following the recent political development in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,” further reads the press note, adding, "In line with its principled position, Nepal believes that internal political problems of a country need to be resolved within its constitutional parameters in a democratic manner, free from external interference."
However, Nepal’s official position – of the non-aligned – bends away from the statement released by ruling NCP (NCP) co-chairman Dahal on January 25. On Friday, the NCP had issued a statement bearing recognition to democratically elected constitutional President Nicolas Maduro. The NCP (NCP) statement read that the recognition of self-declared acting president Juan Guaido by US and other states is ‘unacceptable intrusion’ in internal affairs and an attempt of ‘imperialist coup’.
The statement – the diplomatic blunder of Nepal siding with Russia-China group against Nepal's position of non-aligned – followed the stand taken by China, Russia and a number of other countries, who have criticised the role of the US and its allies on Venezuela’s political crisis.
The letter signed by NCP (NCP) co-chairman Dahal – in absence of the party’s another co-chairman and also the Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli – had not triggered a debate over whether it is the official position of the government or the NCP (NCP) only but also raised serious concern from the US. The US has also sought Nepal government's official position in the issue.
Foreign experts claimed that the Dahal statement on Friday was a reaction to the statement issued by around a dozen Kathmandu-based missions including the UN, who asked the government to finalise Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Commission for the Investigation of Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP).
On Thursday, issuing a press note Kathmandu-based diplomatic missions of Australia, Germany, European Union, Finland, France, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America, and United Nations said, "Noting the looming expiration of the mandates of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission for the Investigation of Enforced Disappeared Persons, as well as the upcoming fourth anniversary of the 2015 Supreme Court ruling that affirmed certain requirements for transitional justice processes, we encourage the government to clarify to the public its plans to take the transitional justice process forward in 2019."
Though, Nepal has extended diplomatic relations with 163 countries around the world, it has not been in any group historically. Nepal and Venezuela had tied the bilateral relations on April 28, 1987.