INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Kathmandu, December 6
Visiting United States Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Randall Schriver today said
the US accorded great importance to Nepal-US defence relationship and that the ties were on a good trajectory.
This undated image shows
United States Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Randall Schriver
Photo courtesy: US Dept of Defense
He said the defence relationship was built on the foundation of good political and diplomatic
relationship of over seven decades
&I think the military cooperation is also a good foundation of bilateral relation and we are building from there,& he said, during an
interaction with a selected group of journalists.
According to Schriver, besides strengthening bonds and deepening relationships, the US
aspired to create a set of military and defence activities that promote Nepal own goals for its modernisation
&We want good relation with a purpose to promote Nepal own goals for its modernisation,& he said.
Schriver said the US vision for the
Indo-Pacific region was that the region remained free and open as characterised by the fundamental principles and qualities such as respect
for sovereignty, international law and norms, peaceful dispute resolution, and free, fair and reciprocal trade.
According to Schriver, the
military-defence component of the Indo-Pacific strategy was enabling the countries to protect their sovereign interest
&Some of the trainings under this component helps the militaries to operate under civilian control and international legal environments,&
&Our overall vision is to make Nepal strong, independent, sovereign, prosperous, and nothing more than that.&
On ongoing debate in Nepal
regarding the IPS and Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact Programme, Schriver said the US welcomed the chance to hold discussion,
explain from the US point of view, engage in a dialogue about what these principles were and why the US thought that other countries should
build partnership with it
&The IPS goes beyond defence and there are economic, governance, and security components to it
The MCC is one of the major economic pillars of this approach,& Schriver said.
When asked if the suspicion in Nepal over the IPS is a result
of meddling by other foreign powers, Schriver said the US competitors sometimes wanted to create narratives that the US was trying to force
a choice or the US was trying to counter somebody else strategy.
&That not the case
If there a choice for the people of Nepal, then the choice is that you want to protect your sovereignty and you want to protect and promote
international law and system
It not choice between capitals and countries, it a choice for standing up for these principles and values,& he said.
Schriver, yesterday,
held meetings with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Ishwor Pokhrel, Minister of Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali,
Chief of Army Staff General Purna Chandra Thapa and Defence Secretary Reshmi Raj Pandey.
The discussions focused on various components
related to US-Nepal military-defence ties such as security, assistance, training and exercise to strengthen the relationship.
Later in the
day, Schriver visited Birendra Peace Operations Training Centre, Panchkhal, Kavre, to mark the opening ceremony of the new facility built
under the US financial assistance
The US has invested $8.9 million in the centre.
Schriver said it was an important investment for the US because the benefit of helping Nepal
with its peacekeeping training was great contributions to the United Nations& peacekeeping missions.
&Nepal is already a part of global
citizenry that makes major contributions with over 5,000 Nepali people currently deployed across at least 12 different missions
So it is something we proudly support
Not only the US but also the international community benefits from it,& he said.
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