Nepal wants border disputes with India settled through existing mechanisms; rejects mediation

NEpal wants to solve its edge disputes with bharat through and through existing bilaterally symmetrical mechanisms and without any mediation by others, Nepal’s foreign minister Shisir Khanal said on Sunday, backing New Delhi’s position against any third-party involvement.Speaking to reporters at the end of a visit that included talks with external affairs minister S Jaishankar, Khanal outlined his government’s intention to move India-Nepal ties “away from geopolitical friction” and root them in development diplomacy following Nepal’s general election in March.The bilateral partnership, he said, shouldn’t be “constrained by the anxieties of the past”, and instead be driven by the prospects of a shared future.Also read: India, Nepal discuss ways to take forward bilateral ties, development cooperationThe visit came amid a row over the border regions of Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani, which Nepal has long claimed, and remarks by Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah that appeared to suggest at a role for China and the UK in settling the dispute. India subsequently ruled out any role for third parties and reiterated that all undemarcated segments of the border should be resolved through existing bilateral mechanisms. Khanal said Nepal sent diplomatic notes regarding its claim on territories in Kalapani region after India and China reached an agreement on resuming the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra to Tibet through Lipulekh. Shah’s remarks referred to Nepal’s “historical claim” and the perception that many border disputes are part of a “long historical legacy” dating back to British rule in the region, he said.Since the dispute has its origin in the Treaty of Sugauli of 1816, Shah had referred to Nepal’s desire to access historical evidence and documents that may be available in the UK, Khanal said. He added that Shah had also emphasised that the matter would be resolved by India and Nepal through talks and diplomatic mechanisms. “Our position was not that we were asking for mediation,” Khanal said.Also read: Centre justifies LPG price hike“True independence means our shared borders act as highly efficient bridges, not frustrating barriers. Rather than engaging in hyper-nationalistic grandstanding, we are pursuing calm, data-driven and evidence-based discussion to resolve challenges in good faith,” Khanal said. He said no boundary issue will be “too complex” if the two sides “sit down with an open heart, a rational mind and mutual respect”.Highlighting what he described as a “unique asset” of Nepal’s ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which emerged from last year’s so-called Gen Z uprising, Khanal said: “We are absolutely unencumbered by the past, we refuse to look at India through the distorted hyper-sensitive lens of 20th century geopolitics.”Also read: 23 parties to participate in key INDIA bloc meet today; DMK, AAP to skipThe RSP represents the “completely new political reality” of Nepal and received an “extraordinary mandate” centred on good governance, strict meritocracy and direct accountability, he said. “We look at India with an open heart, clear eyes and a single, transparent agenda – the economic transformation of Nepal,” he said. The two sides now need to “close the gap between old promises made on paper and physical reality delivered on the ground”, and move from “abstract political statements to deliver measurable life-changing results”, Khanal said.He said that he and Jaishankar discussed the activation of several existing mechanisms dealing with trade, energy, flood management, irrigation and border issues. “We value connectivity through road, railway networks and airways. We want to be connected through our energy transmission lines,” he said, adding that the two sides also focus on the joint development of the energy sector and seamless trade. Asked about the Nepal PM’s reported pledge not to travel abroad for a year, Khanal said Shah is currently focused on finalising the budget and delivering early results. “He is very focused on showing results on the domestic front. When the appropriate time comes, he will begin to travel,” he said.