CHINESE ARMY CHIEF ARRIVING FOR RARE VISIT WEDNESDAY

CHINESE ARMY CHIEF BEGINS THREE-DAY VISIT

Kathmandu, 23 March: Chinese Army Chief Gen. Chen Bingde arrives Wednesday heading a 15-member delegation for a rare three-day visit as Beijing competes with India for a foothold in the Himalayan state bordering Tibet.
In recent years, China has been urging Nepal and even helping it to strengthen cross-border security to stop anti-China activities,
Beijing is sensitive to activities of Tibetan refugees.
China will sign two memoranda of understanding with his counterpart Gen. Chatraman Singh Gurung.
Beijing will offer RMB 100 million for installation of equipment at Birendra Military Hospital and logistics support for strengthening disaster management and humanitarian assistance capabilities,
China will provide another RMB 30 million assistance for purchase of heavy equipment for the Directorate of development and Construction.
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SEVEN NEPALIS STILL IN LIBYA

Kathmandu, 23 March: Seven Nepalis arestillin Libya, Nepali
embassy in neighbouring Egypt said.
Altogether 1,751 Nepali workers have been evacuated from the
north African were state.
They were evacuated with government financial assistance.
The government now says it can’t finance any longer possible evacuations of countries in the Gulf states where millions of Nepalis work.
Anti-government protests are swelling in Gulf countries.
Nepal government said it can’t fund evacuation of Nepalis from
Japan hit by a series of three disasters.
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RUSSIAN PARLIAMENTARIAN DELEGATION ARRIVING

Kathmandu, 23 March: A Russian parliamentary delegation headed
by Valery Afonasyevich Yazev, Deputy Chairman of the Duma, is
arriving Wednesday on a five-day visit.
The delegation is arriving on invitation of Deputy Speaker Purna Kumar Subedi.
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WORLD CONGRESS OF IH & RA BEING HELD

Kathmandu, 23 March: A world congress of International Hotel and
Restaurant Association (IH & RA) will be held in Nepal 30
November to 2 December, Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) said.

NEPAL TO ASSIST JAPAN WITH DRY FOOD
Kathmandu, 23 March: Japan has asked Nepal for food assistance, particularly biscuits and dry food items to address the growing food crisis after the earthquake and tsunami struck the country in tandem, Anil Giri reports in The Kathmandu Post..
Just last week, Japan’s Agriculture Ministry issued a warning about an expected tightening of the food supply-demand balance in the
country. In a meeting with Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Joint Secretary Rudra Nepal, who oversees Japan at MoFA and the Second Secretary (Political) at the Japanese Embassy here, Takayuki Kawakami, formally made a request on Tuesday. Nepal has duly accepted to do the needful.
“They were particularly seeking biscuits and dry foods items from Nepal as they have started reeling under food shortage even in the capital, Tokyo. We will consult other line ministries—especially, the Ministry of Commerce and Supply, and the industrial fraternity on how we can assist Japan at this crucial juncture,” said Nepal.
So far, the Japanese side hasn’t quantified its request. Ministry officials told the Post that the Japanese proposal needs to be forwarded to the highest political level—up to the prime minister and other line ministers—to expedite the process. The government will buy the major chunk of food stuffs and seek voluntary contribution from the business community and other sections of society.
Meanwhile, the government has decided to defer its earlier decision to immediately dispatch a 15-member rescue team to assist in Japan’s rescue efforts. The Nepali team that was supposed to fly to Tokyo last week returned from Tribhuvan International Airport after Japan requested that it was mulling a proper mechanism to handle rescue teams from across the world. “Those rescue teams who assisted the rescue bid in Japan have started returning to their respective countries after finishing their job.
Thus, it is not necessary to send a new team to Japan as rescue and evacuation bid are almost on the edge,” said a senior Foreign Ministry official. “The procurement of the blankets has begun in South Korea. The Nepali missions in Seoul and Tokyo are working together to ensure the delivery, but no one is available in Japan to receive Nepal’s aid at the moment due to other pressing priorities,” the official said.
Mission active in Osaka The Nepali mission in Tokyo that had shifted to Osaka amid fears of radiation after the deadly earthquake and tsunami destroyed a nuclear plant in Japan has started full-fledged work. “A per the directives of Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nepali mission in Tokyo has shifted to Osaka due to some special reason for the time being,” the Nepali mission in Japan said in a statement. The mission has set up its temporary office at the office of the honorary consulate, Nepal. The address is 6-9-21, Uehomachi, Tennoji, Osaka, 543-0001.
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