6 days ago
Nepal Minister Downplays India Border Dispute, Urges Regular Talks
Nepal and India share a long and mostly open border.
Their officials disagree about a few areas along that border.
Nepal’s foreign minister said these problems are normal for neighboring countries.
He also said the disagreement is smaller than some public discussions make it seem.
India says most of the border has already been officially marked.
A few parts are still unsettled.
The two countries have meetings and other systems for discussing the issue.
Nepal hopes regular talks will help solve the remaining problems.
Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal called the India-Nepal boundary dispute a normal issue between neighboring countries.
Khanal said the disagreement is not as serious as some narratives suggest and that mechanisms exist to address it.
The dispute includes Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani, which India maintains are part of Uttarakhand.
India said nearly 98% of the boundary has been demarcated, with some segments unresolved because of the Gandak River’s shifting course.
Khanal said recent border-management meetings show bilateral mechanisms are active and could help resolve remaining challenges.
- Who
- Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal and officials from Nepal and India.
- What
- They discussed the India-Nepal boundary dispute and efforts to manage unresolved border segments.
- Where
- The remarks were made at NDTV World’s Anviksha India-Nepal Dialogue; the disputed areas lie near India’s border with China.
- When
- Khanal made the remarks on Thursday; India issued its statement about 98% demarcation earlier in June.
- Why
- Nepal wants regular discussions to address politically charged hotspots while protecting its national interest.
Nepal’s View
India’s Position
Scale of the dispute
Nepal’s View
Nepal’s foreign minister said the issues are normal between neighboring countries and are not as serious as they are often portrayed.
India’s Position
India has acknowledged unresolved border segments while maintaining its position on the disputed territories.
Disputed territories
Nepal’s View
Nepal considers Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani part of its boundary dispute with India.
India’s Position
India consistently maintains that the three territories are part of Uttarakhand.
Resolving remaining issues
Nepal’s View
Nepal favors frequent meetings and stronger existing mechanisms to discuss the hotspots and protect its national interest.
India’s Position
India says most of the boundary has already been demarcated and has cited the Gandak River’s shifting course regarding some unresolved sections.
Key facts
- Nepal’s position
- Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said the border dispute is not as large as some narratives suggest.
- India’s position
- India maintains that Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani are part of Uttarakhand.
- Border status
- India said nearly 98% of the India-Nepal boundary has been demarcated.
- Unresolved segments
- India attributed some unresolved sections to the shifting course of the Gandak River.
- Recent engagement
- Khanal said border-management meetings took place in Lucknow and Dehradun, including the previous week.
- Open border
- Khanal described the Nepal-India border as unusually open, allowing people to cross largely without papers.
Quotes
Shisir Khanal
Nepal's foreign minister
“Several meetings have taken place, including last week in Lucknow and Dehradun on border management, so our mechanisms are active.”
NDTV
“Only neighbours will have boundary problems. If you're not a neighbour, you would not have that problem.”
NDTV
Sources
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