Trilateral co-op among China, India and Nepal urged

Nepal's three former prime ministers have called for a trilateral cooperation among Nepal, China and India in order to hasten economic development in the region.

In exclusive interviews with Xinhua recently, the three former prime ministers, Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, Puspa Kamal Dahal " Prachanda" and Madhav Kumar Nepal, underscored the importance of trilateral cooperation among the three neighboring countries.

China and Nepal are eager for trilateral cooperation but the Indian leadership appears to be hesitant. The issue gets fresh interest as China's Premier Li Keqiang embarks on a tour of South Asian countries.

The idea of trilateral cooperation was first brought out by Prachanda during his recent China and India visits. But on the eve of Prachanda's India visit last April, Indian Foreign Minister Shalman Skhurshid said the idea of trilateral cooperation is premature, declaring India's unwillingness to work on it.

Asked about the reason for this lukewarm response from Indian leaders, Bhattarai said the reason could be "some historical baggage left behind by colonialism and imperialism, which we all need to throw away."