Nepal for friendly ties with India, China: Prakash Sharan Mahat

He said that bilateral relationships with friendly nations would be made much stronger and balanced

Nepal will accord top priority to establishing friendly ties with the neighbouring countries like India and China based on trust and mutual understanding, the country's newly-elected Foreign Minister said on Friday.

Prakash Sharan Mahat, who assumed office on Friday, said that bilateral relationships with friendly nations would be made much stronger and balanced.

"We always have serious discussions regarding the bilateral relations with India and China. Both countries have friendly ties with Nepal and we need to strengthen and balance the ties so that Nepal will benefit from it," Himalayan Times quoted Mahat as saying.

He said the country would would establish friendly ties with the neighbouring countries based on trust and mutual understanding.

"Neighbors, friendly countries and Nepalese workers abroad are in priority," Foreign Ministry quoted him as saying.

Last week, Nepal Deputy Prime Minister Bimalendra Nidhi had visited India as the special envoy of the newly elected Prime Minister Prachanda.

He had conveyed that India is a very important neighbour for his country and development in Nepal cannot be achieved without the support of India.