Jaishankar meets Nepal Madhesi leaders

Kathmandu, March 15 Visiting Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar on Tuesday met the agitating Madhesi leaders here in connection with their dialogue with the Nepal government.

Jaishankar arrived in the capital on Monday night to attend the Saarc Ministerial Meeting in Pokhara, some 200 km west of Kathmandu.

Madhesi leader Raj Kishor Yadav said Jaishankar inquired about the progress made in talks between the Nepal government and the agitating Madhesi groups.

Talks between the government and the Madhesi leaders remains in limbo since they have rejected the political mechanism formed to re-address the demarcation of the seven-province model. They are seeking a review of the demarcation.

Jaishankar is scheduled to meet Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli and newly-elected Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba later in the day after which he will travel to Pokhara to attend the Saarc ministerial meet.