The United Nations office in Kathmandu confirmed on Wednesday that the letter from the Government of Nepal requesting the UN’s support for peace process has been forwarded to Secretary General Kofi Annan.

The letter signed by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala was handed over to the UN Acting Resident Coordinator Junko Sazaki by Dr. Suresh C. Chalise, International Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister, during a meeting held at the office of the Council of Ministers at Singha Durbar on Monday.

A press statement issued by the UN said that upon receiving the letter, Sazaki “welcomed it” and informed Chalise that she would forward it to the UN’s Secretary General immediately. It added that Annan has been following developments in Nepal very closely.

“Since the 1950s the UN has been working for peace and development in Nepal, we look forward to extending our support in response to emerging needs throughout the country,” the statement quoted her as saying.

In its letter, the government formally invited the UN for management of weapons and monitoring of peace process in Nepal. The government sent the letter after senior UN officials urged the government to clearly outline the role of the world body in Nepal’s peace process.