The Rediff Special /Robin Raphel

India and Pakistan still tend to view international affairs, including relations with the US, as a zero sum game

Nepal's new democracy has seen three peaceful changes of government in the last five years, the most recent earlier this week. On March 6 Prime Minister Deuba lost a confidence motion after his coalition partners defected. The United States will work closely with whatever government emerges in Nepal. Our assistance programs have reinforced democratic institutions in Nepal by providing training for members of Parliament and their staffs, developing a more independent judiciary and improving local government.

Nearly 90,000 refugees from Bhutan remains in camps in Nepal. Bilateral talks between Nepal and Bhutan have yet to bear fruit. Attacks and clashes with police by Maoist insurgents in a number of Nepal's provinces over the past year have resulted in close to one hundred deaths. Although there is no immediate threat to the government, we are following the situation closely.

Last year, Nepal and India concluded a treaty for the integrated development of the Mahakali river basin. The Mahakali treaty sets the stage for more rapid harnessing of Nepal's massive hydropower resources in partnership with India. Nepal's resources could supply rapidly growing markets in India and even China.

In Sri Lanka, democracy remains vibrant and resilient after fifty years. However, the country is embattled by ongoing ethnic conflict. Several thousand people have died on the battlefield and in Tamil Tiger terrorist attacks since the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam broke the cessation of hostilities in April 1995. Military expenditures have diverted scarce resources from efforts to modernise the Sri Lankan economy.

While the government's human rights practices have been strong in recent years, we are concerned about disappearances in Jaffna and other indications that human rights standards have slipped over the past year because of the intensified military conflict. With local elections due to take place later this month, there has been an upsurge of election-related violence.

The government's proposals for constitutional reform are a solid basis for a peaceful resolution to the conflict, but they have not secured the political support needed among all parties in the country. The United States has long supported a negotiated solution to the Sri Lankan conflict that would provide dignity and security for all Sri Lankans, and would protect minority rights while preserving the country's unity.

The glaring exception to the otherwise positive picture in the region is Afghanistan. The continued discord in Afghanistan is a potential source of serious instability for its neighbors. Five years of bloody fighting among contending armed factions following the fall of the Communist regime in Kabul have not brought the country closer to peace or self-determination. During this period our interests have remained constant. We want an end to the fighting and the threat it poses to regional stability.

We want respect for basic human rights, including the human rights of women and the rule of law. We want in end to narcotics production and trafficking, and to the training and harbouring of militants and terrorists. Finally, we want to see the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Afghanistan. All of Afghanistan's ethnic and religious groups must be part of a process leading to national reconciliation and a broadly inclusive government. The United Nations is best placed to help Afghans as a neutral facilitator, and deserves the active support of the international community for its efforts.

Tell us what you think of this opinion