Kathmandu, May 28 -- Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba is leaving for Hong Kong on Wednesday night to participate as an observer in the signing ceremony of the Beijing-backed Convention on the Establishment of the International Organisation for Mediation, at the invitation of Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi. The initiative is seen as a rival to Western-backed mediation organisations.

Although the Chinese government requested Nepal to become a member of the organisation, Nepal declined, stating that it has not joined similar mediation-related organisations in the past.

The signing ceremony will be held in Hong Kong on May 30, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The foreign minister is leading a delegation ...