Foreign Minister clears cloud of APEC, UNIDO
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Upendra Yadav claimed on Friday that no agreements have been signed between the Asia Pacific Exchange Cooperation Foundation (APEC) and United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to develop Lumbini into a religious hub.
During a program organised by the Reporters Club in the Capital, Yadav said the APEC and UNIDO signed an agreement to spend US $ 3 billion for the development of Lord Buddha’s birthplace, Lumbini, is rumor.
Yadav notified that UNIDO itself released a statement stating that no agreement has been made and any publicity saying so would not be under the authority of the organisation. He said that UNIDO sent him a statement clarifying the same.
“This chapter is now closed as UNIDO itself has denied the agreement. It is all just a rumor,” said Yadav
Likewise, Culture Minister Khagendra Prasai said that the Ministry has no notification about any agreements made between UNIDO and APEC. He also said that there is no record of the APEC officials touring Lumbini.
Stating that the Ministry is trying to get to the bottom of the rumor, Minister Prasai said that the Ministry only has the record of the APEC being registered at Hong Kong. The Ministry does not have anything beyond that information.
Earlier, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who is also the Vice Chairman of APEC along with former Crown Prince Paras Shah, had said that the pact was for real. However, Yadav’s statement has cast an enormous shadow of doubt on the investment of APEC.
