Prachanda meets Indian PM in New Delhi

Kathmandu, April 30 – UCPN (Maoist) chairman Prachanda held separate meetings with Indian Prime Minister dr. Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Tuesday.

During the half-hour meeting with the Indian PM held at his official residence at 7 Race Course Road, Dahal called for India's support in conducting the Constituent Assembly polls apart from discussing the economic issues. Dahal also mentioned that Nepal was sensitive about India's security concerns, reports quoting officials involved in the meeting said.

Dahal also asked the Indian PM to come on a official visit of Nepal, saying that it has been quite some time that an Indian Prime Minister has not paid a visit to Nepal.

In response, Singh expressed 'willingness' to come on a visit of Nepal at an “opportune time”, adding that time is not right yet for such a visit.

At the meeting, Dahal is learnt to have proposed a trilateral partnership between Nepal, China and India for the region's “better future”. However, the Indian PM responded by saying that such a partnership will only be possible after the bilateral ties between India and Nepal “matures enough”.

UCPN (M) leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara accompanied Dahal during the meeting. Also present were India's National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon, External Affairs Ministry secretary Rajan Mathai and the ministry's Nepal Desk chief Akhilesh Mishra.

Dahal, who is in New Delhi since Saturday afternoon, also met Indian External Affairs Minister Khurshid today. The Maoist chairman is scheduled to fly back to Kathmandu this evening. (www.nepalnews.com)