If Nepal King seeks audience, PM likely to oblige in Jakarta

The chances of a meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and King Gyanendra on the margins of the Asian-African summit at Jakarta are ...

The chances of a meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and King Gyanendra on the margins of the Asian-African summit at Jakarta are still open with India not averse to the idea if the Nepal King seeks an audience.

As of now, only feelers have come from Nepal Ambassador Karna Dhoj Adhikary, and Kathmandu has not followed it up with a formal request. Sources say the PM was open to meeting all world leaders at Jakarta, including Gyanendra.

Prior to the PM’s arrival, External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh held a meeting with Nepal Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey at Jakarta today. According to the MEA Spokesperson, the Minister also met his counterparts from Iraq, Singapore, Myanmar, Japan, Thailand and South Africa.

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If a meeting between the PM and Gyanendra takes place in Jakarta, it would be the first such interaction after the Nepal King dismissed the Sher Bahadur Deuba government and declared an emergency. This had contributed to India’s decision not to participate in the SAARC summit at Dhaka in early February.

Since then, India has closed ranks with the US and the UK in applying pressure on the King. Indian companies, too, have been facing a tough time in Nepal since the royal takeover, prompting New Delhi to ask Nepal to ensure that their business interests were not harmed.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran is expected to travel to Bhutan on Saturday. He is to apprise King Jigme Singye Wangchuk of the recent interactions with China.

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