rediff.com: Delhi raises concern over ISI activities in Nepal

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.

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.


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