Khurshid in Nepal, to hand over 700 vehicles for polls

Kathmandu, July 9: India's External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid arrived here on Tuesday on a day-long visit during which he will "extend support" to Nepal's upcoming elections and sign a letter to donate over 700 vehicles.

"To extend the support and cooperation to the elections, I am paying an official and goodwill visit to Nepal. We (India) support the choices made by Nepali people as what ever political system or what kind of constitution they want to set up here," Khurshid told mediapersons on his arrival here.

The minister added that he will also discuss some 'critical' areas of Nepal-India cooperation. He did not elaborate.

Foreign Minister Madhav Ghimire Tuesday told IANS that during the day-long visit of his Indian counterpart, a Letter of Exchange (LoE) will be signed by both sides in which India has agreed to donate various kinds of 764 vehicles to Nepal to help during the November elections.

As many as 716 will go to Nepal's home ministry and rest 48 will be given to Election Commission of Nepal. The vehicles donated by India to be used by Nepali security agencies during the polls are worth Rs.800 million.

During the 2008 election, India had donated 500 various types of vehicles to Nepal.

Senior officials including Foreign Secretary Durga Prasad Bhattarai, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Jayanta Prasad and others welcomed Khurshid at Tribhuvan International Airport on his arrival.

Leading a nine-member delegation, during his nine-hour stay in Kathmandu, he will meet President Ram Baran Yadav, Chairman of Interim Elections Council Khil Raj Regmi, his counterpart Madhav Ghimire and top leaders of major political parties of Nepal.

IANS