Kathmandu: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has ruled out Nepal’s participation in the United States’ State Partnership Program (SPP), following increasing political debate over the potential military implications of such a move.
Speaking to reporters at Biratnagar Airport on Monday (11 November, 2014), Oli reiterated that there would be no agreement with the US regarding the SPP.
Oli’s comments were in response to concerns raised by opposition leaders, particularly Pushpa Kamal Dahal, chairperson of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center). On Sunday, former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal expressed doubts that the Oli-led government might be moving toward an SPP agreement with the USA. Dahal suggested that such an agreement would be even more consequential than the much-debated Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) pact.
The SPP has been a source of controversy in Nepal for several years. The country initially applied to participate in the program in 2015 and 2017, but it wasn’t until 2019 that Nepal was officially included as a partner. At the time, Nepal government cited disaster management and humanitarian aid as the key reasons for seeking involvement in the SPP, particularly in the aftermath of the 2015 earthquake.
Despite Nepal’s requests dating back to 2015, it was only after the announcement of the US Indo-Pacific Strategy under President Donald Trump that Nepal was granted participation in the program. However, no formal memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed, and the details of the partnership remained unclear.
The issue resurfaced in June 2022, when reports emerged suggesting that a proposed military agreement between the Nepal Army and the US National Guard, as part of the SPP, had been leaked to the media.
The US Embassy in Kathmandu quickly denied these reports, clarifying that there were no such military deals in the works.
Nepali Congress leader Gagan Kumar Thapa, a staunch critic of any military alliance with the US, had demanded clarification from the government in a June 2022 meeting of the House of Representatives.
“Nepal cannot and will not be part of any military alliance,” Thapa had emphasized at the time.
The government’s latest assurances from Prime Minister Oli may quell some concerns for now, but the future of Nepal’s engagement with international military and strategic partnerships may remain under discussion.
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