The Nepalese Foreign Minister, Ram Sharan Mahat, has said his country is determined to prevent hostile activities on its soil against any country.

His remarks follow Indian allegations that Pakistan is using Nepal as a base for terrorist activities against India.

India stepped up the allegations after suspected Kashmiri militants last month hijacked an Indian Airlines plane after it took off from Kathmandu for Delhi.

Mr Mahat said at a news conference in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, that Nepal condemned all forms of terrorism.

Earlier this month, the Nepalese Government expelled a junior official of the Pakistani embassy in Kathmandu on charge of dealing in counterfeit Indian currency.

Pressure from India

India has long suspected that the Pakistani intelligence agency, ISI, has been operating in Nepal in order to carry out hostile actions against India - allegations Pakistan denies.

Nepal has repeatedly said that it follows a policy of not allowing any hostile activity against any country - including India.

But following the hijacking of the Indian Airlines plane which India believes was masterminded by the ISI, India has mounted a campaign against alleged ISI activities in Nepal.

India says it believes that the ISI is taking advantage of the porous border between Nepal and India.

This has led to speculation about introducing a system to monitor cross-border movements.

Mr Mahat said there were a number of options to regulate and monitor the border, and that these options would be discussed by Indian and Nepalese authorities when the Joint Border Management Committee meets later this month.