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Kathmandu,Wednesday March 29, 2000 Chaitra 16, 2056.
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Nepal-India
talks on IC flights to end today
By a Post Reporter
KATHMANDU, March 28 -
The Nepal-India high-level official talks on resuming Indian Airlines flights that got
cancelled since Christmas eve last year in the aftermath of the Indian aircraft hijacking
may conclude tomorrow, according to Hari Bhakta Shrestha, joint secretary at the Ministry
of Tourism and Civil Aviation.
Shrestha is heading
the Nepali side. The meeting kicked off today at the premises of Civil Aviation Authority
Nepal (CAAN) in Babar Mahal.
Talking to
reporters after the conclusion of the meeting, Sunil Arora, joint secretary at the Indian
Civil Aviation Ministry, said “The meeting will probably end tomorrow morning. We had
a nice talk today”. He, however, refused to elaborate. Shrestha also said “It’s
too premature to say anything today.”
A high level source
at the Ministry of Civil Aviation said the Indian side are demanding that Nepal allow
Indian Airlines to check the baggage and passengers flying by Indian Airlines in
accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regulation. He said
the exact details of where and when to conduct the checking will be determined only on
Wednesday.
According to a
source, Nepali side are negotiating on allowing the Indian Airlines authorities to check
passengers before boarding the aircraft but not permit them to come outside the “ladder
point”.
“Nepal is
demanding that the person to check the passengers be an IA staff that too of Nepali
origin,” said the source. “Nepal is also demanding that they should not exceed
three in number.”
The three-member Indian delegation arrived here
yesterday evening. The negotiating Indian team consists five members -- two from the
Indian Embassy in Nepal. The Nepali side consists six members.
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