Kathmandu, June 19 :    Kathmandu, June 19:  While the people of Nepal want to strengthen the bonds of friendship with India, they would also like that as a sovereign country, Nepal has the freedom to behave like one, King Gyanendra said, detailing the expectations of the people surrounding his visit to India. The Nepal king has chosen India for his first-ever state visit after coming out of the traditional one-year mourning period following the death of his brother King Birendra in a tragic royal massacre. King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev will begin his state visit, on the invitation of the President, from June 23. Besides Delhi, the king would also visit Calcutta and Guwahati. The king's visit comes at a time when the civilisational framework, that marks the relationship between the two countries, is being seen as an inadequate platform with security concerns becoming a predominant feature. When asked about this changing perspective, King Gyanendra said: 'Security concerns may have come to the forefront because both our countries are afflicted by terrorism. This is definitely one aspect of the relationship but it alone cannot define it. Our relationship is more broad-based and deep. Its cultural aspects and the closeness of our people must also be taken into account.' Elaborating on the expectations from his visit, the king stated: 'The people of Nepal want the bonds of friendship between our two countries to be strengthened further. They want that the concerns of both our countries be discussed for mutual benefit; that the closeness that exists between our people continues; that as a sovereign country Nepal is given the freedom to behave in that manner.' The king, who embodies a rich personal experience in economic matters, hoped that a 'free-flowing pattern' would emerge in the economic and trade links between India and Nepal. 'I would like to see joint ventures flourish between our two countries. We must devise strategies so that our interests in this field are mutually compatible,' he said. Offering his 'greatest good wishes' to the people of India, the king pointed out: 'I have watched India's achievements and wish her further success. We hope that India plays her role in the region as well as in the world. I personally think that India has a lot of responsibility to carry out. And I am confident that she will be able to do so with finesse and clarity of thought,' the king said. Asked what role India could play to help establish stability in Nepal and whether India was doing enough to help it tackle the Maoist insurgency, the king replied: 'I think the Nepalese people are thankful already for whatever India has done. The world has come together against terrorism as this issue cannot be tackled by any one nation alone. We, as close neighbours, must put our heads together looking at the short, medium and long term ramifications of an unstable South Asia.' But did not the socio-economic agenda of the Maoists represent the demands of some sections of the Nepalese people? 'I would have said 'Yes' to this question five years ago when they initiated their so-called movement,' replied the king. However, King Gyanendra felt that at present the Maoists 'seem to have lost their bearing' as they are targeting innocent people, children and the infrastructure. He said: 'I look at it this way: if there is any war that we have to fight, it is against poverty, hunger, disease; and certainly not against each other.' He questioned the Maoist methods saying: 'If power comes out of the barrel of a gun and their motive is to attain it through these methods, then I don't think that they have chosen the correct way of solving this problem.' The people of Nepal deify their king and consider him to be the living avatar of Lord Vishnu. When asked how he reconciled his religious and temporal roles, the king smiled and said: 'The best way of doing something at times is not doing anything about it.' Then, he added: 'The Constitution says that I am meant to be the centre of unity and the protector of the Constitution. If there is any truth in what you have just mentioned, then I consider myself as the protector of the Constitution.'