KATHMANDU: Amid increasing discussions, celebrations and debate over the MCC Compact in recent days in Nepal, the US Embassy in Nepal today said that the US supports fact-based public discourses on MCC.
Citing that the right to peacefully express one’s views is intrinsic to democracy, the Embassy tweeted, “We are a strong supporter of free speech & public discourse based in fact, including on MCC. The US has been a partner of Nepal and its people for decades & will always support its long-term prosperity.”
The Embassy’s comment on MCC came at a time media reports are out saying that the government is preparing to ratify the US-funded project from the Parliament at the next meeting of the House of Representatives.
The government has convened meeting of the federal parliament from September 8 against the backdrop of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s growing interest in ratifying the US Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact.
Meanwhile, the government has written a letter to the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) office, United States to clarify some of the provisions included in the MCC agreement.
The government’s request comes at a time when Fatema Z. Sumar, Vice-President of Department of Compact Operations at the Millenium Challenge Corporation is visiting Nepal this week.
The Ministry of Finance on Friday wrote the letter, through US Embassy in Nepal, asking the US government to clarify the 11 main provisions among others included in the agreement.
In the letter, the Ministry of Finance has asked the US government to clarify whether MCC is a part of the US-led Indo-Pacific Strategy or not. Ministry has also questioned whether Nepal’s security strategy is linked with MCC or not.