KATHMANDU. July 6: Indian and Nepalese trade officials began a three-day meeting Friday aimed at improving commercial ties and investment. state radio said, reports AFP.

The Nepalese delegation, led lay Commerce Secretary Mohan Dev Pant, was expected to ask India to grant an additional road transit route that would allow Nepal to trade with overseas markets via Bangladesh.

The Indian side was headed by Commerce Secretary Te-Jendra Khanna, the radio said.

The visiting Indian delegation met Nepalese Minister for Commerce Fatteh Singh Tharu on Thursday on the eve of the meeting, a commerce ministry official said.

During the meeting Tharu had underlined the need for improvements in trade, transit and Indian investment in the the Interests of both Nepal and India and to promote bilateral trade, he said.

'The arrangement requiring 50 per cent indigenous material and labour content in Nepalese products for entry into the Indian markets should

be abolished," the minister said.

The counterveiling duty on Nepalese export items to India should be lined and no ceiling should be fixed for Indian investment in Indian currency, in Nepal." Tharu added.

Khana said the Indian government had a positive atti tude towards improving bilat eral trade and transit routes and Indian investment In Nepal.

India currently provides Nepal with 16 road transit entry points for its overseas trade.