KATHMANDU, Oct 7: Leaders of three major political parties, including UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, are visiting China next week to participate in the 25th standing committee meeting of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) in Beijing.
Former prime ministers Dahal and Jhal Nath Khanal of CPN-UML as well as Nepali Congress leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Sujata Koirala have been invited to the event scheduled to be held in Beijing on October 15. Though ICAPP doesn't confirm the Maoist Chairman's attendance in the meeting on its official website so far, Dahal's personal secretary Chudamani Khadka confirmed the visit.
"The chairman is set to visit China from October 14 to 16 for the ICAPP meeting," Khadka said. "Meeting with high-level Chinese officials is also most likely during the trip."
CPN-UML senior leader Khanal said that he is not in a mood to visit the northern neighbor given the complex political situation in the country. "I'm invited to attend a conference in China but I am unlikely to leave the country as the political situation here is not favorable for abroad visit," Khanal told Republica.
According to a release by ICAPP Secretary-General Chung Eui-yong, who is also the co-chairman of the standing committee, the meeting is scheduled on the sidelines of the ICAPP Special Conference on the Silk Road.
Participation of senior leader of Bharatiya Janata Party Vijay Jolly and Indian National Congress senior leader Anil K Shastri from neighboring India has been confirmed, according to the ICAPP.
UML's Khanal and NC's Koirala are members of the 20-member standing committee of the ICAPP.
Published on: My Republica (Oct 7, 2015)
