His Majesty the King has granted an audience to visiting US Principal Deputy Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Donald Camp at Ratna Mandir palace in Pokhara on Wednesday.

His Majesty the King and the top US official held discussion about the recent political developments of the country and other issues of bilateral interest, according to local reports. However detailed report about the meeting was not available immediately.

Camp had arrived in Kathmandu this afternoon on a two-day visit to Nepal.

Camp will call on Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey on Thursday. He is also scheduled to meet with Nepali Congress (NC) President Girija Prasad Koirala, CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and NC (Democratic) President Sher Bahadur Deuba and some representatives of the civil society.

The top US official will leave Nepal On Thursday evening after holding a press conference.

The purpose of Camp’s visit is said to convey elaborated message of the crisp statement on Nepal made by US President George W Bush in New Delhi recently and also to get updates on the new developments here.

Addressing a joint press conference in New Delhi last week, the US President said he and the Indian premier “agreed” that the Nepali monarch should restore democratic process.

“On Nepal, we agreed that the Maoists should abandon violence and that the King should reach out to the political parties to restore democratic institutions,” the US president told reporters.

Along with India and the United Kingdom, the US suspended its military assistance to Nepal in the aftermath of the royal takeover of February 1, 2005.

The US has been reiterating on the need for reconciliation between what it calls the constitutional forces, that is, the King and the mainstream political parties in the country.