Kathmandu, July 14 -- As the United Kingdom prepares for a change in government next week, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal on Tuesday held a telephone conversation with Britain's Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis, urging London to resolve the longstanding grievances of Gurkha veterans over unequal pay and pensions.

The conversation came as former Gurkha soldiers warned of staging a "fast unto death" in Kathmandu if their demands remain unaddressed.

The two sides also discussed preparations for another round of tripartite talks involving representatives of the governments of Nepal and the United Kingdom and Gurkha veterans, expected by July 21. The previous round, held in London on March 18, ended without a breakthrough.

"I told the British d...