With only a week left for the 25 June donor meeting, Nepal’s authorities coordinating the conference, which aims at securing foreign assistance for rebuilding of the earthquake-devastated country, are desperately waiting for confirmation of participants.
Nepal's closest neighbors India and China have not yet confirmed who is attending although there are unconfirmed reports that India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is coming. Nepal is also waiting for the final list of guests from the US, the UK and other European countries.
Early this week, Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat went to New Delhi to officially invite Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on behalf of Prime Minister Sushil Koirala. But Modi is unlikely to attend.
"India has not confirmed anyone's name as yet," said Narayan Dhakal at the Ministry of Finance who is involved in conference planning. "We are also waiting for a confirmation letter from China."
Nepal has invited 62 donors – 37 governments, 22 international organisations and three ‘celebrities’: former US President Jimmy Carter, Hollywood actor Leonardo Dicaprio and British film star Joanna Lumley. But only 13 donors have confirmed their participation in the meeting to be co-hosted by Japan.
Norway's Foreign Affairs minister Børge Brende, Japan's State Minister of Foreign Affairs Yasuhide Nakayama, Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Minister A. Abdul Hameed Mohamed Fowzie and Bhutan's Finance Minister Namgay Dorji have been confirmed.
The World Bank's Vice President for South Asia Annette Dixon, European Union's Development Commissioner, JICA's President Akihiko Tanaka, ADB President Takehiko Nakao and UN's Under Secretary General Gyan Chandra Acharya have also confirmed their participation. UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon will not attend but will send a video message urging the world to help rebuild Nepal.