Kathmandu, Nepal, May 31: Nepal on Sunday reiterated its commitment to resolving all outstanding border-related issues with India through diplomatic negotiations and mutual discussions, following remarks made by Prime Minister Balendra Shah in Parliament earlier in the day.
In a statement, Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Kathmandu and New Delhi have exchanged diplomatic notes on the matter and reaffirmed their shared commitment to addressing border disputes through established diplomatic mechanisms.“Both countries have expressed their commitment to resolve border-related disputes through diplomatic channels and mutual discussions,” the ministry stated.
The ministry noted that Nepal and India share a centuries-old open border governed by the 1816 Sugauli Treaty. However, it said certain areas, including Susta, Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani, remain unresolved and have yet to be fully mapped.
Apart from these disputed regions, Nepal also raised concerns regarding alleged cross-border occupation and encroachment along the Dashgaja (boundary strip) in several locations.
According to the statement, the Nepal-India Technical Committee is actively engaged in collecting data, repairing border pillars and conducting joint studies in the disputed areas. The committee’s findings indicate that in some locations, land currently under Nepal’s administration may fall within Indian territory, while some land used by India may fall within Nepal’s boundaries.
The ministry emphasized that Nepal remains committed to resolving all boundary-related issues through dialogue based on historical treaties, agreements and jointly recognized maps.“In line with the spirit of the close relations between Nepal and India, the Government of Nepal is always committed to resolving border-related issues through diplomatic negotiations based on historical treaties, agreements and maps,” the statement added.
The development comes amid renewed differences over the Lipulekh Pass route used for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. Earlier this month, India rejected Nepal’s territorial claims over the region, describing what it termed the “unilateral artificial enlargement” of claims as untenable.
Responding to remarks by Nepal’s Foreign Ministry, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that Lipulekh Pass has served as a traditional route for the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage since 1954 and has been used for decades.
“Lipulekh Pass has been a long-standing route for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra since 1954. This is not a new development,” Jaiswal said.Reaffirming India’s position, he maintained that Nepal’s territorial claims were not supported by historical facts or evidence.
“Such unilateral artificial enlargement of territorial claims is untenable,” he said, while adding that India remains open to constructive engagement with Nepal on all bilateral issues, including the resolution of outstanding boundary disputes through dialogue and diplomacy.
The latest exchange follows Nepal’s recent diplomatic notes to both India and China objecting to the use of Lipulekh for the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage route.
The border dispute intensified in May 2020 when the government led by former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli issued a new political map incorporating Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani into Nepal through a constitutional amendment.
India subsequently rejected the move, asserting that the revised map included parts of Indian territory and violated the bilateral understanding to resolve boundary issues through diplomatic dialogue.
India had then stated that the move was not based on historical facts and evidence and would not be accepted.