Pranab says India is open to talks with Nepal on 1950 treaty

Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said India is ready for talks with Nepal on the 1950 peace and friendship treaty.

Speaking to reporters in India's West Bengal state Sunday, Mukherjee said he was open to holding talks on the issue ,but added that participating in a dialogue would arise only if an initiative came from the Nepalese side, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.

Mukherjee's comment was in response to a query about India's position towards the longstanding demand of the CPN (Maoist), which is now almost certain to lead the next government, that the 'unequal' treaty be reviewed.

In his recent interview to Karan Thapar of CNN-IBN television, Maoist chairman Prachanda said he was in favour of reviewing all the bilateral treaties in general and the 1950 treaty in particular.

"We want a new relationship with India, which means better relation, better understanding and better cooperation," he said, adding, "We will try to maintain equidistance between Delhi and Beijing in political sense, but not in practical sense and in matters of cooperation." nepalnews.com mk May 19 08