Trilateral cooperation among China, India and Nepal urged (2)

Prachanda said that when he was in India, he explained to Indian leaders the strategic importance of a trilateral cooperation but the impression that he got was that India was not yet prepared to accept the arrangement.

Prachanda, who visited India one week after he returned from a week-long China visit on April 20, said, "Theoretically we can discuss on this issue but for implementation of trilateral cooperation, time has not come. We should not hurry, we should create that atmosphere. That was my understanding of the position of the Indian leadership."

Prachanda resigned from the prime minister's post on May 25, 2009, following a controversy about his move to sack the Chief of Nepal's Army Rookmangad Katuwal. The chairman of Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) said that trade relations between China and India are developing very fast and the two countries have cooperated in many other areas.

He said that he discussed the idea of trilateral cooperation with Chinese leaders and they were enthusiastic about it.

"However, in order for the idea to prosper, it must be agreed by the three concerned countries and India is not yet willing to participate and that's where the problem lies," Prachanda said.

Nepal also emphasized the importance of the trilateral cooperation, saying that his country can serve as one of the transit routes linking China and India.