Maoists, who are set to stake claim to form a new government in Nepal, have dismissed reports that India is their "principal enemy", but highlighted the need to regulate the open border with the neighbouring country and favoured visas for Indian visitors.
"We are ready to consider India's genuine security concerns," said senior Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai, while stressing the need to "regulate the open border so that criminals and terrorists do not indulge in activities" that would go against the interests of India and Nepal.
The 56-year-old Maoist leader, who has just returned from a week-long India trip, said that during his meeting with national security adviser Shivshankar Menon, he had discussed security issues and tapping of natural resources in a mutually beneficial way.
"I had a good opportunity to hold talks in India at the highest political level during my recent visit and it was quite fruitful," said Mr Bhattarai, who is being seen here as one of the possible candidates for premiership after the new process of electing a Prime Minister starts.
Maoists consider it significant to have communication with India and want to improve relations with the giant southern neighbour, with whom the party has some misunderstandings, he said.
"It would also be for India's advantage to have good relations with the unified CPN-Maoist, which is the largest party" of Nepal, he told a select group of journalists here.
Mr Bhattarai also dismissed reports that the Maoists consider India as a "principal enemy" in their political paper.
"We haven't said that India is the principal enemy, what we are saying is that India's capitalist, ruling class is forging alliance with the feudal and regressive forces of Nepal that have blocked the process of forming a Maoist-led government," he claimed. "We term this as the principal contradiction with India."
Replying to a question, he said problems existed between Nepal and India such as border dispute, economic matters and the issue of reviewing a 1950 treaty, which need to be settled through political and diplomatic negotiations.
Mr Bhattarai pointed out that Maoists are demanding scrapping of the 1950 India-Nepal Peace and Friendship Treaty, under which Indians do not need a passport or visa to visit Nepal and vice-versa.
He said his party was not opposed to the idea of Indians requiring visas to visit Nepal.