Kathmandu, July 25 – Foreign secretary Madhu Raman Acharya was closeted with Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas and Congressman James Walsh of New York on Wednesday discussing possible quota and duty-free status for Nepali garment export to the United States.
A bill seeking quota and duty-free status for Nepali garments in the United States was earlier
proposed by Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, but was later withdrawn as a matter of protest against Kathmandu’s decision to deport a group of Dharmashala-bound Tibetans back to China in May.
Nepal has since then assured that it will handle the issue of Tibetans in transit to other countries in full cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Acharya’s current visit, inter alia, is seen as an effort to repair damage caused by the deportation incident.
The visiting delegation hopes to persuade the Congressmen to have the garment bill reintroduced in the American legislature. Acharya is scheduled to meet several more members of the Congress. However, he has not yet met Senator Dianne Feinstein, the mover of the said bill that stands withdrawn.
Also on the visitors’ agenda are other bilateral, regional and international issues, including Nepal’s accession to the World Trade Organisation and the current political situation in Nepal.
Acharya has already discussed these issues with key State Department and US trade officials. Deputy Chief of Mission at the Royal Nepalese Embassy, Rudra K. Nepal, who is moving around with the Nepali delegation, told The Himalayan Times that so far they had received what he called a “positive” response from the US officials and politicians.
After the US visit, Acharya is scheduled to take part at a senior official level meeting of the non-aligned movement in Bandug, Indonesia, from July 28 to 30.
