KATHMANDU:- Rastriya Swatantra Party, (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane has said that the Nepal-India border dispute will be resolved through diplomatic channels.
Speaking to media persons at Tribhuvan International Airport on Friday after completing his visit to India, Chairman Lamichhane said that the border issue will not be resolved by shouting or beating drums and that it will be taken forward at the appropriate time and process. He mentioned that India is also ready to resolve it through diplomatic dialogue at the appropriate time.
President Lamichhane said, “It is very important to get anything done through diplomatic channels between the two countries. It should not be done by beating drums like there is a lot of noise about it. However, without beating drums, things that need to be done about one’s country should be done in a sequential manner at the right place and time. There are stages in any work, and at such stages, the issue of borders should be discussed. Therefore, we should rise above the debates in the streets and the House and resolve it through diplomatic means.”
He stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has clarified Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s statement regarding the border, adding that this is the official position of the government.
During the visit, President Lamichhane also informed that he had invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President to visit Nepal. Stating that both leaders were positive about visiting Nepal, he clarified that the process of exchanging visits and invitations to each other’s countries between political parties is an ongoing process.
He said, “During this visit, I have also invited the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come to Nepal. The process of inviting leaders of political parties from different countries as per the need continues. Both are very positive. Now, if both sides agree on the time, the visit will take place.”
Asked about the problems faced by Nepali citizens in India, Lamichhane stressed the need to make the Nepali embassy and related mechanisms more efficient. He said that it is necessary to enhance the capacity of the government mechanism to address various problems related to healthcare, paperwork and daily life of Nepalis in India.
According to him, although the capacity to address all problems has not been increased immediately since the government was formed recently, efforts are being made to activate the mechanism to effectively address the grievances of the citizens. He expressed the view that although the problems of Nepalis living abroad are almost of the same nature, if the mechanism to resolve those problems is active and efficient, the suffering can be significantly reduced.