France favors resumption of dialogue to tackle the Maoists issue

-Mrs. Anne Grillo-Nebut, Head of South Asia division, Foreign Ministry, France

This is my first "working" visit to this Himalayan Kingdom upon my assumption as the Head of South Asia Division at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The purpose of my trip this time is to familiarize myself with the actual situation, including political ones, prevailing in Nepal. I just wanted to understand the situation and the political mood of this country because a continued deteriorating situation in this country is a matter of concerns for all of us including France, my country.

My humble opinion is that a stable Nepal is in the larger interest not only for this country but for the region as a whole. I firmly believe that Nepal can play a major role in the stabilization of this region and to attain this goal we can work together with your country.

My country is happy that after a long wait Nepal has a government at Singh Durbar. We welcome the new appointment of Sher Bahadur Deuba as the country's prime minister. As a matter of fact, it would not be out of place to presume that Prime Minister Deuba would be able to form a "broad-based" government that will solely dedicate herself in the service of the population.

Undoubtedly, as an European nation, France, would wish to see the Human Rights situation improving for the better. Prevalence of better HR conditions in this country is a thing that we would like to observe.

Regarding the Nepal situation, well! Let me tell you that France has been carefully watching the events here and our own interest is that we wish to see a developed Nepal the government of which is committed to the welfare of the people of this country.

As pertaining to the Maoists issue, France, I subscribe to the views our Ambassador Claude Ambrosini, has been ventilating of late, believes that it should only be "dialogue" should be resumed to tackle this issue. France would more than welcome any move that brings the insurgents to the negotiating table. We favor dialogue for political stabilization in Nepal. If this is so then we also wish that the government in Singh Durbar and other major political parties too come together and deal with the issue. In such an event, the resumption of the dialogue process will have the needed strength to deal with the Maoists.

I came last Wednesday and since then my meetings with Nepal's dignitaries have remained very hectic but then a rewarding one. Since it is a familiarization trip, I am meeting personalities belonging to various disciplines of Nepali society so that I can get some ideas about the real situation wherein the country is in at the moment.

I have met Foreign Secretary and have had very comprehensive and detailed discussion of practically all the major issues that I wanted to know. In the process, I have also met with Madhav Nepal, Girija Prasad Koirala and Mr. Pashupati Rana. During the meeting, all these three political heavyweights put their perceptions and the way out of the impasse in a very candid manner. In my opinion you the Nepalese have seasoned leaders indeed.

I also have had the honor to meet the Heads of various UN agencies operating in Nepal. Likewise I had a discussion with the EU mission and got to know on how they have been assessing nepal events.

By the way, I also met the Indian Ambassador, Shyan Saran.

Well I am a new person for this person as I only assumed the current post in September 2003. Currently I head the South Asia division that is SAARC countries plus Afghanistan. Have not been to all countries of this region but planning to visit Delhi and shortly to Colombo.

Mr. Luis VASSY is a new entrant as a French diplomat who is accompanying me in this trip. He is in effect the In-Charge of Nepal affair at the Ministry.

I wish to congratulate Nepal for having been able to successfully chaired the last SAARC Summit held in Islamabad. In fact it was Nepal's careful handling of the Summit that things began changing in the region for the better. It was, frankly speaking, after this summit or at this summit that the two major rivals of SA, India and Pakistan, came not only closer but have been hinting the world that they could mend their differences in the larger interest of the region and the world. The process of confidence building measures that were adopted at time of the Summit appears moving even with the change in the Indian leadership in Delhi. France welcomes such positive gestures and encourages both, India and Pakistan, to keep the practice going.

France welcomes the process of dialogue in between India and Pakistan. Let the dialogues continue. The solutions to their longstanding issues must come from their own meetings with each other. France hopes that Indo-Pak meeting slated for August will prove beneficial for both the countries. My country hopes that smaller neighbors of India and Pakistan will provide encouragement to their large neighbors and prompt them to keep the process of dialogue alive.

Regarding Pak proposal on N-issues. Well, I don't know what are the details. However, if the proposal is aimed at CBM, then it has got to be taken positively. After all, both are N-powers and if they could sort out their differences on N-matters should be a welcome move for the region.

Any positive development in India-Pakistan relations is an encouraging trend not only for the region but for the whole world. This is what I believe.

(Based on tête-à-tête with the chief editor last friday)

Headline | Dateline | National |  5 Question  | Editorial | Letter | 2nd Impression | Views | International | Past