Honorable Dr. Suresh Chalise
Ambassador of Nepal to the United States of America

NAFCA was pleased to have the honorable guest, His Excellency Dr. Suresh Chalise, Ambassador of Nepal to the United States of America on April 13-14, 2008 in Davis, CA. Taking a break from his very busy schedule Ambassador Dr. Chalise took his time to meet the NAFCA family from Davis, Sacramento, and Woodland community and answer their questions and concerns at the International House in Davis. His Excellency Dr. Suresh Chandra Chalise, Ambassador of Nepal, and his wife Dr. Milan Adhikary were both NAFCA's guests of honor during the Nepali New Year 2065 Celebration held in Davis Veteran's Memorial Center on April 13, 2008. NAFCA president, Mr. Uddhav Giri, presented Ambassador Chalise with the Certificate of Appreciation.

Ambassador Chalise talked about the future prospects of Nepal. He stressed that, conducting a free and fair Constituent Assembly election is the key to ensuring full fledged democracy, lasting peace and prosperity in Nepal. He further stated, if democracy and peace prevail in the country, Nepal would take off very fast economically in about 10 years.

Ambassador Chalise also talked about possibililty of obtaining dual citizenship with Nepal and the U.S. He stressed that the expectation in the task of nation building process is very high as the world has become one giant community due to communication and transportation networks. He said that as our neighbors India and China are experiencing an economic boom, Nepal's hydropower energy, tourism, and cement production sectors could open up new economic opportunities in Nepal. These potential economic opportunities have already turned Nepal from a land locked country into a prosperity locked country. The ambassador stated that the Government of Nepal is positively reviewing the request for providing dual citizenship for non-resident Nepali.

We got the sense that Ambassador Chalise is a very effective Ambassador. He has already made numerous changes and he repeatedly asked us, "what can I do to help." We all felt his approach was not only great, but effective. We all appreciated that Ambassador Chalise took the time from his busy schedule to meet with the people from the Davis, Woodland and Sacramento areas to hear our concerns and answer our questions.

During the New Year celebration, Ambassador Chalise gave a brief speech remarking that Nepal has a tremendous amount of natural resources. He outlined about eight different types of natural resources, assuring that once Nepal is able to tap into those resources, it won't be too far behind other developed Asian Nations. Ambassador Chalise's approach toward our beloved country is very positive and promising. He is a visionary and our community truly appreciates his service to our beloved country of Nepal.

Before leaving Davis, CA, Ambassdor Chalise assured us that he will continue to reach out to Nepali communities and friends of Nepal during his tenure.