Kathmandu, December 14:

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, the Personal Representative of the United Nations Secretary General, Ian Martin, and Maoist Chairman Prachanda today held a meeting at the PM’s residence at Balwatar.

The trio agreed to begin the verification process of the Maoist arms and armies as soon as possible.

Citing problems that may crop up in the event of the process of the management of arms becoming lengthy, Koirala and Prachanda requested Martin to begin the process at the earliest, according to a source close to the prime minister.

“The meeting concentrated mainly on the verification of the arms and armies and monitoring of Maoist cantonment sites,” the source said.

Martin told the prime minister that the verification process would start after the UN mission arrives in the country, the source said.

Martin is also reported to have said that the 35-member UN team will arrive after the UN technical assessment mission submits its report to the UN Secretary General.

Martin urged the government talks team to give due importance to camp management, sources said.

Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula and Maoist second-in-command Dr Baburam Bhattarai also attended the meeting.