Nepal envoy meets Yechury

Nepalese envoy Durgesh Man Singh describes the meeting, that lasted for 45-minute, with Yechury as a courtesy call.

As the transformation process from a kingdom to a democratic republic progressed in Nepal, the envoy of the Himalayan nation on Tuesday held a meeting with senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, who has played a key role in bringing the Nepal Maoists into mainstream politics.

HT Image

While Yechury declined to comment on the 45-minute meeting, Nepalese envoy Durgesh Man Singh described it as "a courtesy call".

The meeting came about 10 days after Yechury visited Kathmandu and held meetings with Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, CPN(UML) leader Madhav Kumar Nepal and Prachanda, the Chairman of the CPN(Maoist) party which is set to form the new government in that country.

India has favoured consolidation of the process for the formation of a democratic republic through the drafting of a new constitution at the earliest. Yechury, during his visit, had expressed confidence that all issues, including formation of a new government and drafting of a new constitution would be resolved through a "consensual approach".

On Prachanda's statement on scrapping the 1950 Indo-Nepal Peace and Friendship Treaty, he had said that the CPI(M) had always felt that there was a need to have a "fresh look" at the treaty, which should be updated.

But, Yechury had maintained that the treaty was "not on the agenda at the moment".