This was conveyed to visiting Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba who met the Indian leadership, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on the second day of his four-day official visit.

Official sources here said it has been impressed upon Deuba that India viewed the Maoist insurgency as a "common problem" and is ready to extend whatever help required by Nepal.

After his talks with one-on-one talks with Manmohan Singh, Deuba told reporters here that "understanding, cooperation and assistance from India have a critical bearing on Nepal's fight against terrorism."

Nepalese officials said Kathmandu's serious concern over Maoists' problem has been clearly sent across to Indian leadership during Deuba's interactions with the Indian Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh.

The Indian leaders in their turn told Deuba that with a long and porous border with Nepal, New Delhi too is concerned over possible spill-over of Maoist menace in five states of India which border with the Himalayan Kingdom.

Nepal is understood to have given a list of its military hardware and training requirements from India which has agreed to tone up its security help to that country to help tackle Maoist insurgency.

India has so far supplied the Royal Nepal Army with weapons, ammunition, helicopters besides stepping up intelligence-sharing and training of Nepalese army personnel.

On the first visit by a Nepalese Prime Minister to India since the Congress-led government assumed power in India four months ago, Deuba also met Indian Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Home Minister Shivraj Patil.

While the primary aim of Deuba's visit to India was to discuss Maoist violence in Nepal and its shared security concerns, the two countries also signed four agreements in energy, sports and meteorology sectors.