(26 May 2006)
1. Exterior golf club, venue of talks
2. Car of Nepalese Home Minister, Krishna Sitaula, arriving
3. Krishna Sitaula getting out of his car
4. SOUNDBITE: (Nepali) Krishna Sitaula, Nepalese Home Minister:
"We will discuss how to progress towards a constituent assembly."
5. Sitaula enters hotel
6. Maoist rebel negotiators arrive at hotel
7. Maoist rebel negotiators, Krisha Bahadur Mahara and Dev Gurung
8. Sitaula and Mahara (back of head)
9. Maoist negotiator Dev Gurung
10. Mahara and Sitaula (back of head)
11. Both parties at the meeting table
12. Both parties shaking hands with each other
13. Exterior of hotel, with security
STORYLINE:
Nepal's government and communist rebels began peace talks on Friday aimed at ending the Himalayan nation's decade-long conflict.
The meeting was held on Friday afternoon at a golf club in the capital Kathmandu, and began just hours after the two sides decided to begin negotiations.
Before the meeting got under way, Nepal's Home Minister Krishna Sitaula told reporters that there were no differences between the parties and he was anticipating successful talks.
"We will discuss how to progress towards a constituent assembly," said Sitaula, one of three ministers in the Nepalese government's delegation.
Nepal's new government took office after King Gyanendra agreed to relinquish control over the country last month following weeks of protests and a general strike.
The government has released hundreds of rebels from jail, dropped terrorism charges against them, and agreed to a cease-fire.
It also has agreed to rewrite the constitution.
The rebel delegation to Friday's talks was being led by Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who earlier in the day met Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala to decide on an agenda and code of conduct for the talks.
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