Asks India to resolve boundary issue

Kathmandu, January 24

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If India can resolve its land boundary issue with Bangladesh then why not with Nepal, Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali said on Friday, as he dwelt on the “unresolved baggage” of the past on the territorial differences between the two neighbours when the two countries are having strong governments.

India in November released fresh maps of the newly created union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. In the maps, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is part of Jammu and Kashmir, while Gilgit-Baltistan is in Ladakh.

Nepal claimed Limpiyadhura, Lipulek and Kalapani areas were shown in India’s territory although these lie in Nepalese territory.

India has said the new map accurately depicts its sovereign territory and it has in no manner revised its boundary with Nepal.

“If India can resolve land boundary issue with Bangladesh, why not Nepal?” Gyawali asked during an interaction with a group of visiting Indian journalists at a briefing on “Sagarmatha Sambad” at the Nepalese Foreign Ministry here.

No “unresolved baggage” should be carried forward since there is an increased level of understanding between the two countries and their leaders, he added.

“If there is a will, there is a way. And I do believe that there is a will to settle the problem,” he said. — PTI