New Delhi: Voicing concern over the security situation prevailing in Nepal, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has said the institution of monarchy and political leaders in the Himalayan Kingdom should demonstrate flexibility and reach a consensus to address the challenges posed by the Maoist insurgency.

A representative Government with the participation of all Parliamentary parties, engaged in close cooperation with the participation of all political parties, working in close cooperation with the Monarchy, would assist in evolving such a national response to the situation, he stressed.

"India would, as always, continue to extend its support to Nepal in the spirit of the longstanding and traditional friendship between our two countries," a statement issued at the end of the three-day visit of Nepalese Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa said today (Nov 25).

Vajpayee, who held wide-ranging discussions with Thapa, underlined the need for taking urgent broad- based measures to deal with the prevailing situation in that country.

In this context, Vajpayee reaffirmed India's consistent position that a national consensus needed to be evolved based on the principles of multi-party Democracy and Constitutional Monarchy, the official statement said.

"This would require both the institution of monarchy, as well as the political leaders to demonstrate flexibility and reach a consensus to address the challenges posed by the Maoist insurgency," he said.

PTI