KATHMANDU, Jan 15: Thirty development partners have been invited for the Nepal Development Forum 2002 will meet for the first time in Nepal from February 4 to 7. "The meet seeks to gain the confidence of donors and the widest possible public participation in the first in-country meet," a senior official said.

Government issue papers and key institutional and sectoral themes of the 10th Five-Year-Plan and government's reform agenda will be publicly discussed ahead of the meet. "The meetings previously held in Paris is being held in Nepal for the first time to get the wider participation of civil society, political parties and members of parliament," Finance Minister Dr.Ram Sharan Mahat said Tuesday.

Nepal will seek donor support for the polices of the 10th Plan, a joint government-donor commitment to new work measures and broad donor support to meet finance shortfall. "This is not a pledging conference. The meet seeks to get support for policies and programmes," Mahat said.

"Bikash Bazzar" or a Development Exhibition will be held at the Birendra International Convention Centre during the meet to inform the general public of the status of bilateral co-operation, role and responsibilities of government and donors in Nepal's development.

Government, line agencies and development partners will be assigned kiosks at the meet venue to set up information outlets to explain core themes of their development partnership. Information materials gathered at the exhibition will be moved to the Nepal Development Information Centre to be set up and housed there permanently. nepalnews.com br Jan.15