Nepal to facilitate talks between Indian and Pak PM: FM Pandey

KATHMANDU, November 25. Foreign Minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandey said that he will push for Pakistan-India talks on the sidelines of the Saarc summit which starts by tomorrow.

Talking to the Television talk-show with journalist Rishi Dhamala on monday, which was aired on News 24 Television “We are trying to crack the nut,” Pandey said in a television  interview when asked about breaking the deadlock between Pakistan and India.

Pandey further stressed that Indo-Pak should take the initiation for conducive evnvironment for the stable of SAARC. Though official alks between the two regional rivals are still uncertain, Nepal is likely to push Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to one table during the retreat organised at Dhulikhel, a hill station near Kathmandu.

Minister Pandey futher claimed that two sides foreign minister will make conversation before Prime Minster. “SAARC has one very unique practice since its inception. The retreat among the heads of the state and government during the summit provides a platform to hold multilateral and bilateral talks. The talks are going to be held in a very free and frank manner to end mutual suspicion,”

Pandey had said on Friday during a press briefing. “We are trying to organise bilateral talks between India and Pakistan during the summit so that it can set an example,” Nepal’s foreign minister said.

Apart from visiting heads of the state and government, foreign ministers, and foreign secretaries will also be the part of retreat. Nepal formally extended an invitation to PM Nawaz Sharif in October to attend the Saarc summiThe invitation was delivered by Mahendra Bahadur Panday when he met the prime minister during an official visit.t.