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Indian External Affairs Minister Khurshid In Kathmandu
By KTM Metro Reporter
July 9, 2013: Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid arrived at Kathmandu today morning. He drove straight from the international airport to the office of Foreign Minister Madhav Prasad Ghimire. He will return back to India today evening.
Mr. Khurshid is leading a nine-member delegation: seven from his office in New Delhi, and two from the Indian embassy in Kathmandu. Nepalese counterpart also set up a team to talk to the Indian team.
The Indian External Affairs Minister cut short of his visit to Nepal by one day. Initially, he was to visit Nepal on July 9 and 10, 2013. He has not given any reasons for cutting his visit short.
“Our relations with Nepal are very important and the relations will continue to be, a matter of the highest priority for India,” Mr. Khurshid said after landing at the international airport in Kathmandu, according to the news on thehindu.com. “India is strongly committed to working with the people of Nepal for a democratic, stable, peaceful and prosperous Nepal,” he told reporters at the airport.
Mr. Khurshid is scheduled to meet with President Dr Ram Baran Yadav and Chairman of Interim Election Council of Ministers Khil Raj Regmi, and top leaders of the major political parties.
However, Chairman of UCPN-Maoist Prachanda is returning to Nepal only this afternoon from Singapore after the health checkup of his spouse. President of NC Sushil Koirala is in the USA for the regular health checkup. Chairman of CPN-Maoist Mohan Vaidhya left Kathmandu for the China visit yesterday night. Only chairman of CPN-UML Jhalanath Khanal and some leaders of UDMF including the coordinator of the four-party political mechanism Bijaya Gacchedar are available for talks with the Indian External Affairs Minister.
"To extend the support and cooperation to the elections, I am paying an official and goodwill visit to Nepal. We (India) support the choices made by Nepali people whatever political system or what kind of constitution they want to set up here," Khurshid told media persons on the arrival at Kathmandu, according to the news in ‘The Times of India’. The minister added that he would also discuss some 'critical' areas of Nepal-India cooperation.
Foreign minister Madhav Ghimire said that during the daylong visit of his Indian counterpart, a letter of exchange (LoE) will be signed for providing Nepal with various kinds of 764 vehicles to use for the elections to a new Constituent Assembly in November. The Home Ministry will have 716; the Election Commission will have 48 vehicles. The vehicles worth Rs 800 million, according to ‘The Times of India.’
