The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its discontent for the US Embassy’s latest decision to launch a video series program for Nepali public.

The US Embassy to Nepal has announced its plans to launch a video series called ‘Guff Gaff with the Ambassador’ with an aim to interact with Nepali general public.

However, the Ministry says the Embassy had not taken any prior consent from the Ministry before announcing the program on Facebook.

In this regard, the Ministry said it will definitely seek Embassy’s explanation on this matter.

“Generally, ambassadors are not supposed to hold such events without prior approval of the host governments in existing diplomatic practices,” said Nepal Foreign Affairs Secretary Bairagi.

Social Media Debate

The Us Embassy has planned a weekly video series called ‘Rajdut Sanga Guff Gaff (chit chat with ambassador)’ to be published every Monday.

Through this, the Embassy aims to interact with all 4 million followers across its social media channels.

Ambassador Berry’s video post on this announcement has received wide attention from all sections of Nepali audience, who started commenting about the interaction program.

While some called it ‘undiplomatic’, some termed it as promotion of ‘public diplomacy’.

Even foreign affairs experts also expressed their concern about the Embassy’s program.

Former Chief of Protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Gopal Thapa said the US Ambassador’s announcement goes against the diplomatic norms prescribed by the Vienna Convention.

Another former Chief of Protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rambhakta Thakur argued that the US Ambassador should be controlled from holding public interaction on social media.

The post Nepal Upset with US Embassy’s ‘Rajdut Sanga Guff Gaff’ Program! appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

With an aim to increase public interaction, the Embassy launched a weekly video series titled ‘Guff Gaff with the Ambassador’! (“राजदूतसँग गफगाफ”)

As part of this video series, the US Ambassador to Nepal Randy Berry will interact with Nepali public answering their questions asked on a random basis.

Every episode of the video will be published on Monday of every week.

“We are letting random people ask random questions, and we will share those exchanges in a weekly video series called ‘Guff Gaff with the Ambassador.’ Stay tuned for our first video. New ones will be posted on Mondays!” the Embassy said in a Facebook post.

I really enjoy interacting with you all on social media, but I realized that I will probably never meet all 4 million of our @USEmbassyNepal social media followers…so I am beginning “राजदूतसँग गफगाफ” to hear from & answer questions from you all. Stay tuned! pic.twitter.com/AGUaxki9eq

— Ambassador Randy Berry (@USAmbNepal) May 20, 2019

In a video, Berry informed that he has set meeting public as a priority and is aiming to meet as many as Nepalis he can through this program.

He also welcomed the Nepali public to pose questions for interactions through the video series.

The post ‘Guff Gaff’ with the Ambassador’ for Nepali Public! appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

The Parliamentary Hearing Committee (PHC) today unanimously approved four ambassadorial candidates including:

• Nilambar Acharya — Nepal Ambassador to India
• Uday Raj Pandey — Nepal Ambassador to Malaysia
• Krishna Dhakal — Nepal Ambassador to United Arab
• Anjan Shakya — Nepal Ambassador to Israel.

The Nepal Government nominated these ambassadors on November 11, 2018.

According to Parliament Deputy Spokesperson Kesab AryaL, the four nominees were endorsed after a six-hour hearing!

As per the procedure, Nepal Government will now write letters to the respective countries governments seeking ‘agreemo’ for the aforementioned nominees. Post approval, Nepal President shall appoint the nominees as ambassadors.

What the Ambassadorial Nominees Said?
Ambassadorial nominee to India Nilambar Acharya said that he felt he was the right candidate for the role as he was a mature individual with adequate political experience.

“Nepal and India have long and historical relations. The relations are at a critical turning point and we need to work hard to improve them,” he added.

As part of the hearing Panel member and Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Yogesh Bhattarai remarked that if Acharya was appointed, he would have to remember that Nepal’s Ambassador to New Delhi was like Nepal’s Ambassador to Beijing and vice-versa.

“So, you need to strike a balance between India and China on certain issues,” Bhattarai added.

Acharya assured that Nepal’s relationship with China would not effect with relationship with India.

Ambassadorial nominee to Malaysia Uday Raj Pandey said that he would do his best to assist Nepali workers in Malaysia.

“In Malaysia, 90 percent of my work will be related to helping migrant laborers,” Pandey said.

Ambassadorial nominee to UAE Krishna Dhakal,  a career diplomat said that he would use his role to improve Nepal-UAE relations.

Ambassadorial nominee to Israel Anjan Shakya said she would try to bring Israel’s agriculture technology to Nepal.

The PHC panel including Chair Laxman Lal Karna posed multiple questioned to all four candidates regarding their background, interest, work experience and their work plan, as part of the six-hour hearing.

Recently, Nepal received the US Ambassador to Nepal Randy Berry who was greeted and welcomed by President Bidya Devi Bhandari.

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Randy Berry has been appointed as the new US Ambassador to Nepal on October 5, 2018. The American Ambassador has worked with Nepal in the past. He served as the US Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission in Nepal between 2007-2009.

“I am very happy to be back in Nepal in a new role. I look forward to further strengthening the Nepal-America friendship and I hope our diplomatic engagements will promote continued partnership and cooperation between our two countries,” said Berry in a statement issued by US Embassy on October 25, 2018.

About Randy Berry
Berry has been serving the US as a diplomat since 1993. He is a career diplomat and a member of the Senior Foreign Service as Minister-Counselor.

He has been representing US as a diplomat for more than 20 years.

Prior to his posting as US Ambassador to Nepal, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights & Labor in Washington, DC.

The new US Ambassador will be replacing ex-US Ambassador to Nepal Alaina B Teplitz, who will now serve in Sri Lanka. She served Nepal as US Ambassador from March 26, 2015 to present.

NS congratulates Berry on his appointment and wishes him luck for his new role as US Ambassador to Nepal!

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