The current visit of the Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna to Nepal could not be better timed. That is to say it has come at a time when the political series of events in Nepal have tended to stray away from the expected line if we are to take the activities of the UCPN-Maoist as detrimental to the peace process.

It must be said at the very outset that the peace process going back to the 12-point agreement was essentially a blueprint and prophetically drawn up to guide the subsequent events until Nepal successfully drafted a new constitution.

While the political course until the UCPN-Maoist led government was in place much in tune with the spirit of the peace deal which emphasized on consensus politics, the series of events since have tended to give an impression of uncertainty in the political front.

Such being the backdrop, the visit is expected to center on how to evolve national consensus on issues surrounding the peace process and how to take it to a logical conclusion.

Meanwhile the visit coincides with formation of a steering committee of the leading political parties. The committee, which has Girija Prasad Koirala, Prachanda and Jhala Nath Khanal, is being taken as huge step in the task of keeping the peace process afloat.

While Krishna is expected to hail the same as something which keeps the peace process afloat, he is also expected to contribute to the task of keeping the Nepalese political parties engaged.

This apart, the visit is expected to go a long way in taking up the issues surrounding relationship between the two countries. Central to it is the issue of border management which was taken up by Prime Minister Nepal while in New Delhi last year.

The Indian side had, as always, expressed willingness to take up all the issues involved at the diplomatic level. There has been tremendous progress with Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala also expressing commitment to take up the border issue with the Indian side at the diplomatic level.

If taken up during the course of the Krishna visit to Nepal, the issues related to border management will in all certainly take the steam out of the Maoist campaign launched recently. This will in all certainty work out to the mutual satisfaction of both the countries before propelling Nepal-India relationship at a new political height altogether.

Beginning with water resources development to road network in the

Tarai, the economic agenda runs into irrigation development to building electricity transmission lines. The last will go a long way in ensuring essential supply of power to Nepal in the immediate future.

Given the indication which has come up in the run up to the visit, the Krishna visit will be reflecting the best intention from Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself. Both the leaders had expressed best intentions for the development of Nepal following the successful culmination of the peace process.

However, what should not be forgotten at this crucial juncture is the need to work out best medium to ensure political stability in Nepal to give a boost to democracy which was underscored during the visit of Prime Minister Nepal toIndia.

The visit is certainly a high level one. In fact, it comes as a reciprocation of the visit undertaken by Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal to India last time around and which had led to commitments on both sides and which have not yet been fully enforced although there has been some efforts in this connection.

Krishna, who is considered as an erudite diplomat, is expected to work towards implementation of the commitments made by the Indian side in the course of the visit and thus translate Indian cooperation into action in Nepal.

However, the central

importance of the visit

lies in re-energizing

Nepal-India relationship at a time when India is emerging as a regional power to reckon with.

Meanwhile, the visit is important from one more perspective that is, as in the past, the need to comply with the aspirations of

the Indian side whereby Nepal does not allow anti-Indian activities from the Nepalese soil to the detriment of the traditional ally in South Asia.

Central to it is the treaty of extradition between Nepal and India which is in the pipeline but has not

made enough progress despite best intentions from the Nepalese side. India, which is troubled by terrorism in various parts of the country, has long been seeking cooperation from the Nepalese side.

It appears that the Nepalese side may insist on additional Indian cooperation on various fronts including water resources development to trade concession including better access to ports in India something which the Nepalese business community had been asking for down the years.

Given the trend between the two countries in recent years, the visit is thusexpected to add to the existing cooperation between the two countries which have shaped their relationship on “win-win” paradigm all along. Krishna will be adding to the same before the visit throws up a few pleasant surprises ahead.