KATHMANDU, April 27: The EU Ambassadors of Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, United Kingdom and the EU delegation, as well as the envoys of Norway and Switzerland, on Tuesday held separate meetings with the Nepali Congress and UML leaders.
Present at the first meeting were NC leaders Sher Bahadur Deuba, Sushil Koirala, Ram Chandra Poudel and Minister for Culture Minendra Rijal. Later, the envoys met the UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal and other UML leaders.
The envoys expressed concern over the lack of progress in the peace process and rising political tensions. They asked the leaders to show flexibility, negotiate without conditions, and to make concessions in order to avoid a crisis, a statement issued by EU office said.
The envoys also urged the parties and government to show restraint and to avoid provocation and use of force. They envoys urged the leaders to work seriously to ease tensions. They highlighted the responsibility of all the parties to see the peace process through in good faith, the statement added.
In addition the ambassadors said that a show of leadership would benefit whichever party was willing to take the first steps to break the deadlock.
The future of UNMIN was also discussed in the meetings.