Nepal govt, Maoists upbeat about upcoming talks

Discussions between Nepal's government and Maoists were postponed last weekend amid wrangling over how to move the political process forward.

But since then both sides have reported progress in informal discussions.

"We're hopeful the upcoming talks will finalize all pending issues as we're engaged in informal talks with the rebels to narrow down differences," Ramesh Lekhak, a member of the government negotiating team, told AFP on Friday.

His view was echoed by the Maoists.

"We're expecting the upcoming talks to be productive and historic. During our informal talks, we've found the seven-party ruling alliance more sincere in seeking to resolve the political deadlock," said rebel negotiator Dev Gurung.