After India, Nepal signs crimes court deal with US

Nepal and the US on Tuesday signed an agreement not to surrender each other’s citizens to the new International Criminal Court without the consent of the other government, the US embassy said.

The US objects to the court on the grounds that it could launch politically motivated prosecutions of US civilian and military leaders. It is trying to arrange similar agreements, known as Article 98 agreements after the relevant part of the treaty setting up the court, with all countries in the world.

The web site of US Embassy in Nepal said: ‘‘This accord reflects mutual concerns regarding the International Criminal Court treaty, including its possible implications for national sovereignty, the role of the UN Security Council, and its lack of appropriate checks and balances.’’

A US official said the agreement with Nepal brought the total number of agreements to 17.