"Nepal needs more US assistance in reconstruction and rehabilitation" Dr Suresh Chalise

"Nepal needs more US assistance in reconstruction and rehabilitation" Dr Suresh Chalise
Telegraph Nepal, 7-Jan-08

The recently appointed Nepal’s Ambassador to the United States of America Dr Suresh Chalise arrived in Washington DC to execute his new assignment on November 2007. Prior to his appointment as the ambassador, Dr. Chalise worked as an advisor to the Prime Minister of Nepal on Foreign Affairs since May 06.

Originally from Rajbiraj, Nepal, Dr Chalise accomplished his Ph.D program in Political Sociology from Banaras Hindu University, India in 1990. He attended the Senior Executive Course at Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies, Hawaii USA ‘May 06. He has also worked as a consultant with such international organizations as NDI, DFID, FES, UNDP, SARI and WHO. As a writer, his works on socio-political issues are published in various national and international papers.

The Embassy of Nepal in Washington DC is concurrently accredited to Canada, Columbia and Mexico; hence, he’d be presenting his credentials to those countries soon. He’d be presenting his credentials to President George W Bush on Tuesday January 22, 2008. On Sunday December 30, 2007, Ambassador Chalise talked to the chief editor of Nepal Abroad(USA), Sujeet Arjel on several issues. Below the excerpts:

Question: You worked as an advisor to the Prime Minister of Nepal on Foreign Affairs. How challenging has it been for Nepal as a member of a global community to stride in the regional and international arena under present circumstances?

Dr. Chalise: In contemporary Nepal, while the society passes through an acute transition, it has really been a major challenge for us to strike a balance of course as a member of international community, in dealing with regional and global forces. As I have noticed, while working with the Prime Minister, the regional forces are more enamored for their sector related interests. However, on the part of the global powers, they seem interested to see Nepal as a democratic and an open society.

Perhaps, the latter believe that a democratic and open Nepal- which occupies strategic location in the global political arena; would also help encourage lubricating the process of globalization. Here it never means that regional actors are not for democracy in Nepal. They, indeed, are for democratic Nepal and, as you know, have also been the associates of the globalization process.

Regional and global forces have been engaged on the issue of Constituent Assembly elections, issues of inclusion, UNMIN’s role and degree of participation on the entire peace process. In such a thorny political situation, to make a swift momentum on country’s socio-economic and political realms has been a challenge for the government and its leadership.

How helpful has your recent experience been in taking the new assignment as an Ambassador in Washington DC?

Actually, apart from rendering advises, I also worked as a chain between the Prime Minister and the International community in Nepal.

In other words, my familiarity on external affairs as an advisor to the Prime Minister, at bottom, has helped me understanding the interest and areas of concern of the government of USA and areas of vital interest of my country. Being a Nepali- who had certain degree of experience on socioeconomic and political domains as a researcher, I have advantage of understanding Nepal’s fundamental interest in a better fashion than an outsider. Besides, I have had opportunities to develop personal relations with US officials, interact with high level personalities and delegations from the USA.

Therefore, in nut and shell, I should say ‘yes, my recent experience- has been crucial in taking up the new assignment of ambassador in Washington. It has, undeniably, been helpful to work for the mutual interests of USA and Nepal.’

The long absence of the Nepalese ambassador in DC has had many visible and perceived damages to Nepal and to the Nepal-US relations. How do you plan to normalize the whole thing(s)?

I only partly agree to your assumption, as there has widely been perceived that there has been damage or losses to our bilateral relations with USA due to absence of ambassador for a quite long time in the mission. Undeniably, absence of ambassador in a mission for long time certainly does not give a good message, but, ours is an unusual situation, which has been accepted by our international friends, including USA. In this respect, the role of instant information system, which Nepal also enjoys now, really helped to disseminate information to the global community. USA- like that of the other nations understands the difficulties through which Nepal has been passing. Actually, our bilateral relations have been excellent on all fronts.

Besides this, US must have taken the note of the fact that there was delay in appointing ambassador to her country due to a new yet sound process of taking the nation’s diplomats on, which is corresponding to the recruitment process in USA. In the history of Nepal, this is the first time that the sovereign parliament held dialogue- through parliamentary hearing committee, with the ambassadors nominated and ultimately endorsed the government’s decision. Such process, of course has been hedged with certain limitations, but ultimately encourages the transparency and accountability in appointing our diplomats globally.

Have you set any goals to achieve during your stay in Washington DC as an Ambassador?

Of course, every person, who comes here as an ambassador, has certain aims and objectives. Some goals are prescribed by the institution that he or she represents, but, some goals are being innovated by individual himself which are of course in consonance with the national objective of the country. And, I am not exception to this phenomenon. Broadly speaking, I have recognized three areas on which I should be focusing my attention. The first one is to make smoother the ongoing democratic peace process in our country, which is imperative for the establishment of democracy, heralding peace and beginning of real prosperity. For this purpose, I will be interested to see a caucus for Nepal in the Congress/Senate. I have information that some Congressman and Senators, who have love for Nepal and the Nepalese people, seem positive in this regard. If possible, I will also be working to set up a network of former volunteers of Peace Corps who served Nepal in the past.

I consider them as the major resource for further strengthening the US-Nepal relations, as they know Nepal and Nepali people and have better knowledge and experience of Nepalese resources. Such steps- if materialized would advocate the interest of Nepal.

I will work, at all levels, in order to encourage the high level bilateral visits. It would definitely help familiarize our problems and needs. In this connection, I would like to mention here my recent meeting with Assistant Secretary Richard Boucher. He, upon my revelation, was surprised that, the secretary of state, Colin Powell, was the only visited Nepal till the date.

In my meeting, Mr. Boucher was positive to increase the frequency of high level delegations to Nepal. Now, a high level team is scheduled to leave for our country- may be within a month. Apart from helping the peace process, I need to work for the economic prosperity of Nepal. As you also know that despite huge natural resources, Nepal suffers from poverty and hunger. In present Nepal, helping the economic process means contributing to the peace process.

Economic promotion in society shall help to lessen the deviant behavior of people in general. In order to achieve economic prosperity, I will try to find investors on mega Hydro-power generation, cement, and herbal medicine production. I have a plan to explore markets for our niche and other products to US markets.
Of course, we should be working to attract American tourists to Nepal, which has significantly enhanced in recent years in spite of red travel alert. And, for your information, in Nepal’s case, one tourist provides job opportunities at least to 3-4 persons. On top of these, as our society had been beset by conflict, we need assistance from donors-especially from the US government, in the areas of reconstruction of infrastructure and rehabilitation of conflict affected people. I would pay my attention on these areas as well.

The Prime Minister had instructed all nominated envoys to work on Economic Diplomacy as well during their tenure as an ambassador to the respective country. Didn’t that sound incongruous, considering the current situation in Nepal?

I hardly agree with your notion that there is incongruity in Prime Minister’s instruction to envoys for economic diplomacy and country’s situation. As I have already mentioned, in my answer to one of your questions, that the influx of the USA tourists in Nepal has gone up by more than 30 per cent in spite of travel alert from their government. Indian investors are showing their keen interest in the project related with cement production. We have tremendous potentiality to harness our herbal resource by producing medicine. Yes, country had been marred by bloody conflict for a decade. But, now, peace process has been going on. International community, including UN, has recognized that Nepal’s peace process has been one of the fastest in the world. The leadership and the government have also been quite confident to take the peace process to its logical conclusion. I also feel that we are very close to the success of the ongoing peace process. Therefore, it would not be contrary to the reality of the situation in Nepal if we talk to encourage economic diplomacy.

Another reason for encouraging the economic diplomacy by PM, as I understand, he thinks that economic diplomacy, which would bring economic prosperity to society, would also help peace process through reconstruction and rehabilitation. Do you know that hundreds of thousand people have been displaced due to conflict? They urgently need aid and assistance, which is possible only through economic advancement of society.

How would you make the Nepalese people and friends of Nepal in different states including Canada, feel the presence of the Nepalese Ambassador after a long gap?

I agree that absence of ambassador for a long time in US, Canada, or in Mexico or in Columbia, require the presence of the Nepal mission every where in order to boost up the confidence of Nepali community and friends of Nepal. For this purpose, I have devised a plan and have started working on it. With regard to the consular services, the mission has strict instruction to all concerned that the visa or passport renew related matters be completed within 24 hours of receiving of the application.

Likewise, I have begun traveling to various places on the invitation of Nepalese community. A week ago I was in Boston to participate in Loshar- a unique and popular cultural festival of Nepal. I am doing this, partly to boost the moral of my country people and partly to understand their problems, which could be addressed sooner or later. Besides, we face a very sad situation as well here in abroad. Just last Thursday, we were informed about the death of a young and luminous student studying in Ohio University. The embassy did what it could- as far as papers works were concerned. I had talks with the brother of the deceased, Professor of Ohio University and Insurance Company representatives. We have issued a condolence statement on her untimely death in a car accident. I know that sheer statement of embassy would not console and heal the irreparable damage being caused, but, it is just a gesture to all affected that the country’s institution or embassy has been with them emotionally on the cheerless point of time.