The Nepalese Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala said here on Monday that his government appreciated the support extended by Pakistan to the eight-party coalition government and its government and declared that Nepal sought the closest ties with Pakistan as a brother country specially as a partner in Saarc.
He was talking to the CPNE Editors delegation led by Syed Fasieh Iqbal at his office this afternoon. He said that he had very close ties with Pakistan and had always stood for closer co-operation between the peoples of the two countries. He said that the people to people contact and relationship was important and must be promoted. It was in the same context that he welcomed the signing of a MoU between the CPNE delegation and the Nepalese Weeklies and monthlies organisation last night by authorised representatives of both sides, reports Mahmudul Aziz, UPP special correspondent.
The Nepalese Prime Minister was also very enthusiastic about the proposal for bus-link between Lahore and Katmandu via India and stressed that the last Saarc summit had decided that communications links among the Saarc countries must be promoted to the optimum level.
He said that Pakistani editors could do a lot in promoting closer understanding between the people of Nepal and Pakistan. He hoped that there be more frequent relations between different sections of population of the two countries and added that his government stood in full support for such contact. He also lauded the firm support to Nepal in meeting the various challenges it faced by President Pervez Musharraf and the Pakistan government.
Talking of the internal situation in Nepal, he said that the general elections for the constituent assembly which will draw up the constitution of Nepal will be held in the closing days of November this year and decision on this date will be taken by the Interim Parliament and the government headed by him very soon this month.