UNMIN's term extended by four months

Kathmandu, May 13 (ANI): The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) by four more months.

With the latest extension, the UNMIN will remain in Nepal till September 15.

This is the sixth time that the UNMIN's term has been extended.

The Government of Nepal had written to the UNSC last week to extend the current mandate of UNMIN.

While extending the mandate, the UNSC called on Kathmandu to work with Maoist combatants to implement a timetabled action plan with clear benchmarks for integration and rehabilitation into the Nepal Army.

The UNSC also called Nepal to start working on the UNMIN's exit plan.

Nepal's U.N. Ambassador, Gyan Chandra Acharya, told that the UNSC adopted a resolution to this effect upon the request of the government for extension of the UNMIN's mandate.

Acknowledging that Nepal was going through a difficult time, Acharya said: "We are confident that we will be able to conclude the peace process with tangible progress in the days ahead."

The UNMIN is tasked with assisting the peace process in Nepal, which endured a decade-long civil war that ended with the signing of a peace accord between the Government and the Maoists in 2006, Xinhua reported. (ANI)