Author:
Publication: Rediff
on Net
Date: August 1, 2000
India and Nepal Tuesday
agreed to give a new impetus to bilateral ties, even as New Delhi raised
concern over Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency indulging in
anti-India activities from Nepalese soil.
The desire to further
consolidate bilateral relations was expressed during wide-ranging talks
visiting Nepalese prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala had with Prime Minister
Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Koirala is on a week-long
visit to India.
Briefing reporters on
one-on-one talks between Vajpayee and Koirala followed by delegation-level
talks, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh said the two sides had very
comprehensive, friendly and fruitful discussions.
On New Delhi's concerns
over ISI activities against India continuing in Nepal, he said this figured
during talks between the two prime ministers which, he described as "very
satisfactory".
Koirala, who was given
a ceremonial welcome by Vajpayee and his cabinet colleagues at Rashtrapati
Bhavan, told reporters that New Delhi's concerns over ISI operations against
India will be "settled" during talks with Indian leaders.
Singh said the discussions
covered the entire gamut of issues covering political, development-oriented
and those connected with security aspects. "Satisfactory solutions
were found," he said.
Nepalese foreign minister
Chakra Prasad Bastola termed the talks as "very friendly" and covered at
length most of the issues.
The delegation-level
talks were attended by Singh, Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, Human Resource
Development Minister M M Joshi, Commerce Minister Murasoli Maran, orime
minister's principal secretary Brajesh Mishra, foreign secretary Lalit
Mansingh and India's ambassador to Nepal Deb Mukherjee.
A senior external affairs
ministry official said the two sides reviewed the outcome of the recent
bilateral exchanges and explored possible areas of future co-operation
between the two countries.
A spokesman for the Nepalese
side said all matters of bilateral interest, including the 1950 Indo-Nepal
Treaty and trade and transit arrangements, figured during the discussions.
PTI
