Can resolve issues via talks: Nepal

Kathmandu, April 16

There is no issue between Nepal and India that cannot be resolved through dialogue, Nepal Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali said on Friday, underlining that the two countries were “friends and not competitors”.

Speaking at an interaction programme organised by Nepal-India Friendship Association in Kathmandu, Gyawali underlined the need for resolving outstanding issues between Nepal and India, including the border problem, through talks.

“It is not very difficult to resolve these issues if we can move forward by maintaining mutual trust and forging a political understanding,” he pointed out.

“Nepal and India are two friends and not competitors. It is not difficult to resolve problems between the friends,” Gywawli said.

The India-Nepal bilateral ties came under strain after Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a 80-km-long strategically crucial road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand on May 8 last year.

Nepal reacted sharply to the move, claiming the road passed through Nepal territory. India rejected the claim, asserting the road lied completely within its territory. Days later, Nepal came out with a new map showing Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as its territories. Gyawali said Nepal and India were moving forward by working together to fight Covid-19. — PTI