The European Commission (EC), expressing its deep concern at the worsening security situation in Nepal, has urged the government to consider external mediation to resolve the present Maoist conflict, The Kathmandu Post said.

Rudiger Wenk, Charge d’ Affaires of the EC in Nepal said the Commission had first approached the government offering to act as mediator on October 24, 2004, the newspaper reported.

At this point, the European Parliament was of the opinion that Nepal was not any more in a position to solve the conflict without external mediator, he said. “And it voted a motion offering the appointment of a special representative for Nepal for mediating among the conflicting parties,’ he added.

However, he was quick to add that any mediator, in order to be efficient, had to be accepted by both the parties.