NEW YORK (AFP) — New Nepalese Prime Minister Prachanda's communist party is on US terrorism blacklists but he has been rubbing shoulders with President George W. Bush and other leaders attending the UN General Assembly this week.
Prachanda, making his first ever visit to the United States, was a wanted guerrilla in the impoverished Himalayan nation until a 2006 peace deal which led to his party's election victory earlier this year.
Although Washington made a turnaround to talk to the guerrillas after their sweeping election victory, it was still not prepared to remove Prachanda's Maoist group from US terrorist blacklists which bar party officials from visiting the United States and froze their assets.
Despite the sanctions, Prachanda, whose real name is Pushpa Kamal Dahal, gained permission to visit New York and on Monday, attended a gala dinner hosted by President Bush and mingled with other world leaders.
"Some miracle has happened," Prachanda said of his US debut visit, despite Washington's adherence to a strict anti terrorism policy, including not negotiating with groups designated as terrorists.
"It's just like a sweet dream for me," grinned the 53-year-old bespectacled premier at a forum organized by the New York-based Asia Society. "I could not imagine until two and half years back this miracle will happen."
He said he did not raise with Bush the embarrassing subject of removing his Maoist group from the terrorism blacklists but pointed out that he was candid at a meeting with senior US officials on Tuesday.
"I asked them, 'Tell my why the US leadership has not changed their position and if there is some problem, we are ready to discuss," said Prachanda, wearing a light suit.
"Because we came so far in this process and if the US leadership really wants this democracy ... you should have to rethink about your position as soon as possible," he said. "It will be better for both US and Nepal."
Washington once provided weapons and training to deposed King Gyanendra's army in an effort to wipe out Prachanda and his Maoist guerrilla outfit.
Following the peace deal which ended a decade-long Maoist insurgency and the country's transition this year from a monarchy to a democratic republic, Prachanda made his debut on the international stage last month with a surprise visit to China.
His predecessors usually made their first foreign visit to southern neighbor India.
Prachanda scoffed at talk that Nepal was giving greater priority to communist China, saying Kathmandu wanted "a balanced relationship" with its giant neighbors and gave top priority to peace and stability.
He also had some kind words for the United States.
"As this is my first visit to the United States of America, I would like to extend my sincere admiration to the spirit of the American dream," he said, and went on to liken events in his country to the American revolution.
"Similarly, our revolution is also a big breakthrough from our tradition -- a feudal tradition," he said. "With this, we intend to take our country to a modern era."
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