Kathmandu, August 17:

Minister for Foreign Affairs Ramesh Nath Pandey has blamed certain groups within the country for trying to press Nepal to invite international intervention to resolve her internal problems.

“Nepal, which for centuries has stood by its own resolve, has now been pressured by a terrorist group and their supporters and sympathisers to accept outside intervention to resolve its own domestic problems,” said Pandey at a programme organised by the Chinese Institute for International Studies in Beijing. According to the Royal Nepali embassy in Beijing, minister Pandey also expressed Nepal’s determination not to allow outsiders to meddle in its internal matters and to determine Nepalis’ future. He said Nepal is aware of its sensitive geo-strategic location and shall remain firm in its resolve not to permit the misuse of its territory for sinister designs hatched for ominous purposes.

The Nepali embassy in Beijing said the diplomatic community, including ambassadors of India, Sri Lanka and several other ASEAN and European diplomats, senior Chinese officials, professors, research scholars, academicians, journalist and students were present at the programme. Stating that there should be no double standard in dealing with terrorists, Pandey said: “Nepal condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations irrespective of its locations, perpetrators and motivations.” He stressed that Maoist problem should be viewed in a geo-strategic perspective as well.

“The self-proclaimed Maoists have not only misused and offended the name of the great leader, Chairman Mao, but also have turned the birthplace of Buddha into a hotbed of

terrorism under the guise of being liberators of the poor,” said the minister. He told the audience that the Maoists have “killed innocent children and women and have vowed to unleash their reign of terror through extortion, kidnapping and assassinations.

Those who don’t believe in the basics of ‘live and let live’ have called for UN mediation to resolve whatever little political, economic or social philosophy that they possess, he added.

He said that understanding, goodwill and trust have been the hallmarks of Nepal-China relations and that both the countries have always respected each other’s sovereignty and political independence and refrained from interfering in each other’s internal affairs. He expressed Nepal government’s determination to see that no anti-China activities are carried out from the Nepali soil and that the internal instability in Nepal is not exploited for sinister designs in any form against the development, progress and peace of Tibet.

He said that by offering Nepal as transit point for Indo-Chinese trade, Nepal will not only be

contributing to promoting their commercial relationship but also bringing the two ancient civilizations much closer than before.