08 March 2005	Tuesday	26 Muharram 1426

NEW DELHI, March 7: India on Monday reaffirmed its wish list to Nepalese Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey on steps to reverse the "royal coup" against the country's elected representatives , implying that a key reason for stalling the Dhaka Saarc summit had not changed.

The visiting foreign minister, Ramesh Nath Pandey, was however assured that New Delhi was open to reviewing its embargo on military assistance to Kathmandu to fight Maoist insurgents.

Mr Pandey, who met Indian Foreign Minister Kunwar Natwar Singh, explained the reasons why King Gyanendra had taken steps to dismiss the multi-party government, declare emergency, detain political party leaders and impose censorship on the press, an Indian spokesman said.

"He conveyed the King's assurance that steps are being taken to relax some of these measures in the near future. He also conveyed the King's commitment to restoring multiparty democracy at the earliest."

Mr Singh however conveyed disappointment at the measures taken by the King of Nepal, "which had served to only deepen the crisis facing Nepal." Mr Singh told Mr Pandey that apart from India, several other friends of Nepal had expressed grave concern over these measures, which could endanger the institution of monarchy itself.