NATIONAL 1 (Spotlight Weekly)]

Exposure To Nepal

Visits by top-level dignitaries give Nepal much-needed exposure

By A CORRESPONDENT

Nepal has seen some important visits in the last three weeks. Just a day after the visit of Chinese Defence Minister Chi Haotian to Nepal, King Birendra left for a five-day state visit to the People's Republic of China. The day after the King arrived, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala left on a four-day official visit to France.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan scheduled to arrive in Nepal on a two-day official visit on March 12. Annan's visit will give much publicity to Nepal at a time when it is trying to develop a regional UN Peace Keeping Training Center in the country. The UN chief's visit will also reinforce the bonds of cooperation between the world body and Nepal.

Since 1958, Nepal has sent more than 35,000 peacekeepers in various operations throughout the world. Annan's original itinerary included Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. Later, he cut his Pakistan stay by a day to visit Nepal. Annan will be the fourth UN secretary-general to visit Nepal, after U Thant, Kurt Waldheim and Javier Perez De Cuellar.

Haotian's visit to Nepal, the first by a Chinese defence minister, came as a boost to Nepal-China relations. "The King's visit to China has its own regional significance. On the bilateral front, it has helped to consolidate our traditional relations," said a former Nepalese diplomat.

Following the restoration of democracy, this is the first time Nepal has seen such hectic activity on the diplomatic front. But the internal political scenario hardly paints a flattering picture of Nepalese democracy, with opposition parties boycotting parliament to force the Koirala government to resign.

Because of the obstruction of parliamentary procedures, a legislative delegation from Cambodia canceled its weeklong visit. Prime Minister Koirala's visit to France went ahead in the midst of stiff opposition from his critics.

Interestingly, Nepal has made significant gains in the last year on the diplomatic front. After his visit to India, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala travelled to the Federal Republic of Germany and New York to address the United Nations General Assembly. The visit to France is Prime Minister Koirala's third foreign trip after assuming power 11 months ago.

Actually, then-prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai was scheduled to have visited France last year. But he canceled the trip after Koirala tabled a no-confidence motion against Bhattarai in the Nepali Congress parliamentary party.

Prime Minister Koirala's visit to France - one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and an influential member of the European Union - will also benefit the country. As Koirala is the second Nepalese prime minister to have visited France -- after Jung Bahadur -- the trip assumes its own significance.

"The visit by Prime Minister Koirala will help to identify areas of cooperation between the two countries. Prime Minister Koirala is likely to discuss trade expansion, investment and increased aid from France for Nepal's economic development endeavors," said Gyan Chandra Acharya, spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Frequent exchange of visits help to enhance Nepal's image in the world. "Such high-level visits are specially beneficial for small countries like Nepal," said the former diplomat.