Nepal’s foreign minister has held a meeting with India’s ambassador, three days after Defense Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a new route for the Kailash Mansarovar yatra via the Lipulekh pass, which Kathmandu claims is part of its territory. Nepal claims the link road inaugurated via Lipulekh pass is a breach of agreement between the two countries.
“Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali conveyed Government of Nepal’s position on boundary issues to Ambassador of India to Nepal Vinay Mohan Kwatra at a meeting held at MoFA [Ministry of Foreign Affairs] today [Monday] and handed over a diplomatic note in this regard,” Nepal’s foreign ministry said in a tweet.
The foreign minister said that the link road inaugurated by India has been built in the territory that historically belongs to Nepal. “As per the Sugauli Treaty of 1816, the territory to the east of the Mahakali river belongs to Nepal and both sides had agreed way back in 1988 to follow the principle of ‘fixed border’ in determining the border of Nepal, he said.
Nepal has repeatedly claimed that India’s decision to build the 80-km road in Uttarakhand, which connects close to the Line of Actual Control and opens a new route for Kailash Mansarovar yatra, is a breach of an agreement between the two countries. In its response, India said the new route is “completely within the territory” of the country. The government added that the boundary delineation exercise with Nepal was in process and that India was committed to resolving outstanding boundary issues through diplomatic dialogue.
The link road is expected to help pilgrims visiting Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet by significantly reducing the travel time. Lipulekh pass is a far western point near Kalapani, a disputed border area between Nepal and India. Both the countries claim Kalapani as an integral part of their territory – India as part of Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district and Nepal as part of Darchula district.
Gyawali has warned that Nepal will intensify security along the border with India. “The number of border posts on our side is less when compared to the security arrangement on the Indian side,” he said. “We have approximately 120 border posts at present and are planning to increase the numbers in the future.”
The foreign minister said that the link road inaugurated by India has been built in the territory that historically belongs to Nepal. “As per the Sugauli Treaty of 1816, the territory to the east of the Mahakali river belongs to Nepal and both sides had agreed way back in 1988 to follow the principle of ‘fixed border’ in determining the border of Nepal,” he said.
NEPAL GOVERNMENT's PRESS RELEASE EXCREPTS:
"The Government of Nepal has consistently maintained that as per the Sugauli Treaty (1816), all the territories east of Kali (Mahakali) River, including Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipu Lekh, belong to Nepal. This was reiterated by the Government of Nepal several times in the past and most recently through a diplomatic note addressed to the Government of India dated 20 November 2019 in response to the new political map issued by the latter."
"This unilateral act runs against the understanding reached between the two countries including at the level of Prime Ministers that a solution to boundary issues would be sought through negotiation. The Government of Nepal remains committed to seek diplomatic solution to boundary issues on the basis of the historical treaty, documents, facts and maps in keeping with the spirit of close and friendly ties between the two countries."
"In light of this development, the Government of Nepal calls upon the Government of India to refrain from carrying out any activity inside the territory of Nepal."
"It may be recalled that the Government of Nepal had expressed its disagreement in 2015 through separate diplomatic notes addressed to the governments of both India and China when the two sides agreed to include Lipu Lekh Pass as a bilateral trade route without Nepal’s consent in the Joint Statement issued on 15 May 2015 during the official visit of the Prime Minister of India to China."
"The Government of Nepal reemphasizes that pending boundary issues between the two countries should be resolved through diplomatic means. With this in mind, the Government of Nepal has proposed twice the dates for holding the meeting of the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries, as mandated by their leaders, for which the response from the Indian side is still awaited."