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Nepal wants to handle its border disputes with India through existing bilateral mechanisms and without any mediation by others, Nepal’s foreign minister Shisir Khanal said on Sunday, endorsing New Delhi’s rejection of any involvement of a third party in the matter.
Khanal, who was speaking to reporters at the end of a visit that saw him holding talks with external affairs minister S Jaishankar to reset bilateral ties following Nepal’s general election in March, outlined his government’s intention to shift India-Nepal relations “away from geopolitical friction” and root it in development diplomacy.
The bilateral partnership, he said, shouldn’t be “constrained by the anxieties of the past”, and instead driven by the prospects of a shared future.
The visit was preceded by a row over the border regions of Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani, which Nepal has claimed for long, and Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s remarks that appeared to hint at a role for China and the UK in settling the dispute.
India ruled out any role for third parties and said all undemarcated segments of the border should be settled 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 impression 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 referred to Nepal’s desire to access historical evidence and documents that may be available in the UK, Khanal said.
He pointed out that Shah highlighted this matter will be solved by the two sides through talks and diplomatic mechanisms. “Our position was not that we were asking for mediation,” he said.
“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 insisted that no boundary will be “too complex” if the two sides “sit down with an open heart, a rational mind and mutual respect”.
Khanal highlighted a “unique asset” of Nepal’s ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) that emerged from the so-called Gen Z uprising of last year and said: “We are absolutely unencumbered by the past, we refuse to look at India through the distorted hyper-sensitive lens of 20th century geopolitics.”
The 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 added.
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 and Jaishankar discussed the activation of several existing mechanisms that handle trade, energy, flood management, irrigation and border issues, and the new government in Kathmandu wants to build a relationship based on issues of mutual interest.
“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 as he is keen on delivering early results to the people who have given the RSP a strong mandate. “He is very focused on showing results on the domestic front. When the appropriate time comes, he will begin to travel,” he said.
Rezaul H Laskar is the Foreign Affairs Editor at Hindustan Times. His interests include movies and music.
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