Ready to help as and when you want: Pranab in Nepal

Kathmandu: While expressing India’s wholehearted support for Nepal’s peace process, Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday left it to the Nepal Government to decide what form that support should take.

“India is ready to extend any help to Nepal and we will do it in the manner as and when the Government of Nepal requests us,” Mukherjee told reporters after his meeting with Prime Minister Pushpakamal Dahal Prachanda. Hira Bahadur Thapa, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, said Dahal apprised Mukherjee of the progress in the peace process and the move to have Maoist combatants integrated in the national army, an issue that has divided the political parties.

However, the growing rift between the Nepal PM and the Opposition leaders came to the fore with the latter telling Mukherjee that the PM and the Maoist-led Government were violating the letter and the spirit of the peace process.

At least two elder statesman—G P Koirala and Surya Bahadur Thapa—told Mukherjee that the country could be headed towards disaster if the Maoists are allowed to have their way. Mukherjee is believed to have advised a consensual approach so that the new constitution could be written within the stipulated two-year time frame. Mukherjee met President Ram Baran Yadav, Vice President Parmanand Jha, Prime Minister Prachanda, who was joined by Finance Minister Baburam Bhattarai, besides Opposition leaders Thapa, Koirala and Pashupati Shumsher Rana.

Besides water resources and water control, commerce and security issues, border management was also discussed. Mukherjee also took up the issue of safety of Indian business houses and investors. Both sides reiterated their commitment to review the 1950 treaty of peace and friendship and take long-term and immediate measures for flood control.

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