Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister K. P. Sharma Oli has said the Maoist rebels must disarm themselves to make the peace process credible.

Foreign Minister KP Sharma Oli interacting with the heads of missions after the formation of the new Nepal Government at a brief at the Foreign Ministry, Sital Niwas, Friday, May 19 06. nepalnews.com

Addressing a meeting with Kathmandu-based diplomats at the Foreign Ministry on Friday, Oli said a team for peace talks would be formed within the next week.

The Deputy Prime Minister, however, said the dialogue needed a systematic process including complete disarming of the Maoists. “That is why it is necessary for the involvement of the whole international community to ensure complete lay down of arms by the Maoists,” he added.

Responding to the query by reporters about forming an interim government with representation from the Maoists, Oli said it was but obvious that the Maoists would be involved in the interim government. “But there are lot of prerequisites that need to be fulfilled. It is not possible to incorporate the Maoists in the government as long as they continue extortion and intimidation,” he said.

On the issue of Bhutanese refugees, Oli said the problem was actually between the Bhutanese citizens and their government. “ We have just provided shelter to the refugees on the humanitarian grounds though we are not an immediate neighbor,” he added.

Oli said that the Bhutanese government should reciprocate to resolve the problem bilaterally. “ If there are any alternative way of resolving the issue Bhutan should come forward with it,” he said.

“Any agreement should be acceptable mainly to the Bhutanese government and its own citizens,” he added.

The Deputy Prime Minister thanked the international community for their solidarity towards Nepal’s pro-democracy movement when it was needed the most.