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Kathmandu,Thursday June 08, 2000 Jestha 26, 2057.
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India raises concerns
By a Post Reporter
KATHMANDU, June 7 - Principal
Secretary to the Indian Prime Minister and National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra today
said he raised the issue of security concerns with Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala at
the latter’s office here today.
When asked if the Indian
security concerns were based on the "secret report" prepared by the Indian
intelligence agency as claimed by India Today, Mishra denied it and said they discussed
"mutual security concerns". He, however, refused to elaborate on the what the
security concerns were.
Brushing off Indian
government’s involvement in preparing the report or strategic timing of the report
release (It was posted a day before Mishra arrived in Kathmandu), he said "We have a
regular channel (between the two governments)...We don’t need media to convey
anything to Nepal," said Mishra.
The "secret report" as
posted by India Today in the internet as the intelligence report implicates a close nexus
between a number of Nepali politicians, businessmen and media with Pakistani intelligence
agency ISI.
Mishra said the Indian
government was satisfied with the commitment of not allowing Nepali territory to be used
against India as pledged by Prime Minister Koirala during the meeting today.
"We have been assured by
the government of Nepal that it won’t allow its territory to be used against
India," said Mishra, the leader of the High Level Task Force, at the Nepal-India
joint press meet organised at the conclusion of the HLTF’s two-day visit at the
Tribhuvan International Airport today. "We are satisfied with the Nepalis
assurance."
Speaking on the results of the
HLTF meeting, Mishra said": "We held a very fruitful discussions...reviewed the
progress of the (India-aided) projects going on in Nepal. We also considered some new
projects."
The HLTF is mandated to review
progress in the implementation of the Indian-aided projects in Nepal and identify and
prioritize new projects and areas of cooperation.
Mishra said some of the new
projects that were considered were developing Emergency Trauma Centre (at Bir Hospital),
two pilot projects on rural sector and a medium level 200-300 MW hydropower project. He
added that an Indian technical team will come to Nepal to discuss the hydropower project
within few weeks.
Chief Secretary Tirtha Man
Shakya, who headed the Nepali side, said the meeting was "very positive".
"HLTF met after three years on a cordial environment and discussed whole gamut of
bilateral cooperations," he said. HLTF is mandated to meet annually.
According to Shakya, the Outer
Ring Road in Janakpur, review of customs services, extension of broad-gauge railway line
to Raxaul were some other projects discussed today.
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