Kathmandu: Nepali Congress General Secretary and lawmaker Gagan Kumar Thapa has said that Nepal cannot be part of any military alliance. Speaking during a meeting of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Thapa demanded the government to respond to the US State Partnership Program (SPP) proposal.
“Nepal cannot and will not participate in any alliance involving the Nepal Army,” he said. “I demand with the Speaker to rule Prime Minister to attend today’s meeting and answer the House on the issue.”
A purported draft proposal of the US-Nepal military pact has ignited a heated debate in Nepali politics. Media reports had said the agreement will be signed during the US visit by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. There have been general debates and criticisms against both the US and Nepal governments after a document of the agreement said to be proposed by the US Department of Defense on the State Partnership Program between the National Guard and the Nepal Army became public on Monday. Various Nepali media outlets have published the document—both in Nepali and English.
However, the US Embassy in Kathmandu on Tuesday refuted the media reports on the Nepal-United States military deal.
“The document published in some online outlets that purport to be a military deal between the United States and Nepal is fake,” the embassy tweeted. According to the Embassy, by policy, the United States does not ask countries to join the State Partnership Program and only responds to requests for consideration.
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