Of late, President Bidya Devi Bhandari has become active working to secure vaccine support from various countries around the world. She has been writing letters to the heads of states of various countries. The move, however, has been criticized as the effort of the Sheetal Niwas to undermine the role of the Executive and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Nepal Live Today spoke to Tika P Dhakal, President’s Press Advisor, to find out what exactly is the case.
Why exactly did the President have to write letters to the heads of states of various countries? The Office of the Prime Minister could have done that instead, could not it?
When the President began reaching out to her counterparts of friendly countries, we are all aware of the fact that Nepal was facing the surge of the fatal second wave of Covid-19 pandemic. We are still in the middle of it. The level of stress, however, appears to have started lowering gradually with the ongoing public health measures in place. A more sustainable way out of the pandemic may be achieved only by availing vaccines to the people.
It feels like a nightmare even to recall what Covid-19 has done to us over the past five-plus weeks. The number of infections has risen to an unprecedented level, touching one of the highest positivity rates in the region. The number of deceased persons due to Covid-19 in these weeks surpassed what we had seen during the last entire year. Our health resources were clearly overstretched, and they still are. Our economy has come to a standstill. People living on daily wages have suffered enormously.
Even if not officially announced, this, no doubt, is the situation equal to a national health emergency, which somehow has got overshadowed under the headlines of domestic political muscle-flexing. Or, I would say our political theatre has made the pandemic look less urgent while the situation on the ground is demanding urgent action from every one of us.
The efforts made by the President in reaching out to the Heads of States of our friendly nations have received huge popular support.
This is the time Nepal badly needs immediate external support, for which the government has mobilized its domestic and diplomatic resources. The Prime Minister himself wrote an op-ed in The Guardian a few weeks ago appealing to the international community for support. With an objective of providing more effectiveness and broader visibility to these efforts of the government, our Ministry of Foreign Affairs worked with its counterparts of friendly countries, which finally culminated in the President’s outreach to the Heads of States of the major vaccine manufacturing countries.
But this move of the President has been heavily criticized by various sections.
Allow me to make three points here.
First, let me assure the readers through your media that the efforts made by the President in reaching out to the Heads of States of our friendly nations have received huge popular support. I refrain from terming it as ‘criticisms’ for the feedback we have received during this process. They are mostly advice to the government as well as the Office of the President to be more efficient, visible and appealing for people. We take them positively in the spirit of our domestic discourse. For the President, saving the lives of the people from Covid-19 pandemic remains a singular topmost priority. It is an urgent humanitarian issue for us.
Second, we need to be careful that our domestic debates should not send a message of division to the international community, which, if further worsened, might handicap our diplomatic efforts of securing timely vaccines for our population. It is only with stronger unity as a nation that we can overcome this crisis.
Third, whoever appears to be using this pandemic to score certain political brownie-points that side itself will be at the losing end. As we live in the age of lockdowns and prohibitory orders, let’s not forget that people at large follow these developments closely. It would be ridiculous to place our political considerations before the urgency of saving the lives of our people.
Many people wonder what may be in the letters the President wrote. Can you tell us about it?
Let me make it clear that it is not only through the letters the President has communicated. You are aware of the telephone conversation between our president and the president of the People’s Republic of China. Our Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are in direct contact with their counterparts in many countries. Our diplomatic missions abroad are active. They are further motivated with the President’s inputs in the fight against Covid-19.
Our domestic debates should not send a message of division to the international community, which, if further worsened, might handicap our diplomatic efforts of securing timely vaccines for our population.
As far as the letters are concerned, the President has written to the Heads of States of four countries—India, the US, the UK and Russia. Why them? Because they are the biggest vaccine manufacturers of the world. They also have the biggest vaccine stockpile.
These letters are diplomatic instruments to emphasize our concerns and needs at the highest level. By involving the good office of the president, we would like the addressed countries to look at us more urgently and seriously. In the true spirit of friendship, the President has, in these letters, expressed Nepal’s solidarity in the global fight against Covid-19 pandemic. She has requested the governments of the respective countries to prioritize Nepal and facilitate the process of vaccine purchase, for which separate proposals have been placed in certain countries by the government of Nepal.
I would like to emphasize that our President has not asked for anything in grants. The world today is facing a crisis of unprecedented scale. Capacity of the nations to donate has shrunk. We have to be able to mobilize our own resources to vaccinate our people and get everyone out of the danger of the pandemic.
How has it been received by the recipient countries? How has their response been?
I must say, we have received extremely positive responses from every friendly nation we have approached and communicated with. I can give you some facts. For example, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the grant of one million doses of vaccine during the telephone conversation with our President. These vaccines have already arrived in Kathmandu. People will immediately benefit from it. India has committed to prioritize Nepal in supplying vaccines. The US, the UK and Russia have responded affirmatively. We may see concrete results in the days ahead. In addition to the commitments on vaccines, all countries I have mentioned here have provided generous support by availing us oxygen equipment, PPE, lifesaving medicines and other emergency supplies.
There are countries to whom the President has not written letters but we have received support from. Switzerland, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Finland, New Zealand, Germany, France are some to name here. There are several international organizations who have come forward to support us. Our fellow Nepalis in the Gulf countries and the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRA) all over the world have become active. Our gratitude and sincere thanks goes to all of them. This crisis has shown to us one more time that Nepal has many friends and that we are not alone. This to me is quite heartening.
The President has, in these letters, expressed Nepal’s solidarity in the global fight against Covid-19 pandemic. She has requested the governments of the respective countries to prioritize Nepal and facilitate the process of vaccine purchase. President has not asked for anything in grants.
Is there a way for the Office of the President to know whether the letter has reached the intended dignitaries?
Of course, there is. There certainly is. Anybody aware of the diplomatic procedure would know that the contact of any form between the two heads of states involves meticulous preparation. Our diplomatic missions abroad are aware of and active in this entire process. They update the Office of the President through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There is bureaucracy involved, but this is an active, fast work. To give you an idea, we would know within a matter of a few hours what has transpired with our communication in a certain foreign capital.
Some people say that the President’s activities have undermined the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. How do you respond to that?
Frankly, I laugh at such remarks. The President is the protector of our constitution and guardian of our nation. Being the highest office of the country, the President’s international contacts are possible only with an active role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In fact, the Ministry’s work is further strengthened and optimized with the involvement of the President’s good office. The Ministry has to toil actively during every bit of this process from the start to its conclusion. And let me tell you, this process, which was activated almost two weeks ago, is far from conclusion. Those who say, as you have just said, are people who simply do not seem to understand how diplomacy works. I find no words to comment on ignorance.
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