KATHMANDU:- Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shishir Khanal, has clarified that the remarks made by Prime Minister Balendra Shah regarding the Nepal-India border in a meeting of the House of Representatives held on May 31 were related to cross-border occupation.
In today’s meeting of the National Assembly, Minister Khanal underscored that the government is committed to settling border problems through diplomatic talks based on historical treaties and maps in accordance with the sentiments of Nepal-India’s close relations.
There has been a situation of ‘cross holdings’ around no man’s land at some border areas due to an ,open border for centuries, he added. The Foreign Minister opined that PM Shah, in the course of answering the border issue, mentioned that Nepal’s demarcation was directly linked with Sugauli Treaty of 1816.
He further clarified that the PM had also raised the reference to the friendly nation, the United Kingdom. “We have not sought third-party mediation on this issue,” stressed Minister Khanal, saying that Prime Minister Shah intended that they could be helpful to settle border issues if reference materials are available in the then context. India visit fruitful.
Meanwhile, briefing the upper house of the Federal Parliament about his recent India visit, Foreign Minister Khanal stated that fruitful discussions were held on various dimensions of bilateral relations during the visit.
Concrete discussion was held on various issues including trade and economic collaboration, ‘connectivity’, energy partnership, waste resources management, sports as well as strengthening people-to-people relations, he mentioned.
The Foreign Minister underlined that during the meeting with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar, both sides expressed commitment to further strengthen bilateral relations. Views on various aspects of Nepal-India shared security concerns, border management and strategic partnership were also discussed, he added.
At a programme organised by India Foundation during his visit, priorities of foreign policy were shed light on, as well as an interaction was held on the issue of shared interest related to energy, trade, and border, the Foreign Minister opined. He stated that views were exchanged on the issue of various regional and international interests. RSS