Nepali king seeks to break out of isolation

The 57-year-old monarch of the impoverished Himalayan kingdom was condemned by many nations for his power grab that also included detention of politicians, suspension of civil liberties and curbs on press freedom.

Neighbouring India as well as Britain have suspended arms aid to express their displeasure and Washington has slammed the takeover, which Gyanendra justified as vital to crush a Maoist revolt against the monarchy that has left over 11,000 people dead since 1996.

Some EU nations, such as Denmark, have partially cut funds for economic projects in aid-dependent Nepal.

Gyanendra begins his nine-day foreign tour, his first since assuming full power, Wednesday, travelling to Indonesia to participate in the Asia-Africa summit on April 22-23. He goes to China on April 24 to attend the Boao Forum for Asia, dubbed the Asian equivalent of the World Economic Forum, on Hainan island.

"Obviously, the king will hold bilateral meetings with foreign leaders and explain the situation in the country. It is natural. But there is no specific agenda," a top foreign ministry official told Reuters Sunday.

Gyanendra will also travel to Singapore on April 26 and meet President Sellapan Rama Nathan before returning home on April 29, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

In Jakarta, the king "is scheduled to meet heads of state or government and other leaders participating in the summit," the ministry said without giving details.

Officials were confident Gyanendra would meet Chinese President Hu Jintao during the tour, but an encounter with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is also coming to the Indonesian summit, had not been fixed yet.

"We are exploring the possibility of a meeting with Singh," another official said.

India, which shares a 1,095-mile open border with Nepal, is worried that the Maoist insurgency might spill over into its territory.