KATHMANDU: Defence Minister Bidhya Bhandari on Thursday held separate meetings with Indian Ambassador Rakesh Sood and British Ambassador John Tucknott in a bid to garner international support in removing monitoring of the United Nations Mission (UNMIN) over the Nepal Army.

The British Embassy in Kathmandu sought an appointment for Tucknott, while Bhandari herself invited the Indian ambassador.

“The Defence Minister explained the changed political context and stressed that the international community should not draw a parallel between the national army and the Maoist army,” Press Advisor to the Defence Minister Subas Devkota said.

Political and Press Officer of the British Embassy, Ajay Das, said it was “a private and introductory meeting where matters of mutual interests were discussed.”

According to Devkota, Bhandari asked the Indian ambassador to urge the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council for the revision of UNMIN’s present mandate.

Indian Embassy spokesperson Apoorva Srivastava refused to comment on the matter.

As the Sept. 15 deadline nears for the government to take a call on UNMIN’s future, the defence minister is  planning to hold discussions with ambassadors of the US, China, Russia and France, who including the UK, form the five permanent members of the Security Council.

Last week, the ambassadors of those countries had suggested Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal to forge an understanding with the UCPN (Maoist) before taking any decision on UNMIN.

Maoist leader Barsha Man Pun said his party is confident that UNMIN will get a continuation with its current mandate.