US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Richard Boucher, held a 'constructive meeting with Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal soon after landing in Kathmandu Wednesday afternoon.
Talking to reporters after the meeting with Prachanda at the PMO, Singha Durbar, Boucher said the US is willing to support the peace building efforts and the constitution-drafting process. Saying that the US wants good relations with the Nepal government, he added that the US government would give continuity to its assistance to Nepal.
Finance Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai was also present during the half-hour long meeting. Later, Boucher met Defence Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa.
Meanwhile, quoting the US Assistant Secretary, Prime Minister's foreign policy advisor Hira Bahadur Thapa said the US government has formed a panel to review the terrorist tag on the Maoists and that the reviewing process is on.
Boucher himself didn't comment on the terror tag issue.
According to Thapa, who was present at the meeting, Boucher appreciated the strong condemnation the Nepal government expressed against November's terrorist strikes in India's Mumbai city.
The US Assistant Secretary, who arrived in Kathmandu earlier today, will also meet other senior leaders and ministers including Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam, Foreign Minister Upendra Yadav and Defence Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa.
Boucher is the most senior US official to visit Nepal after the establishment of the Maoist-led government. He will wrap up his visit on Thursday.
Earlier, Boucher was to visit Nepal in the second week of December, but the trip was cancelled in the last minute
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