Nepal's Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal has expressed the country's desire to resolve its border dispute with India through existing bilateral mechanisms. Speaking to the media after holding talks with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar, Khanal said that no problem is too large and complex when both sides meet with an open heart, rational mind, and mutual respect.
Khanal acknowledged India's transformation into a rapidly growing global economic and technological powerhouse and expressed Nepal's desire to engage with this 'dynamic neighbour' by contributing its own aspiring energy to the partnership.
The Nepalese foreign minister emphasized the need to build a partnership that is not constrained by the anxieties of the past but one that is fueled by the high hopes and promising prospects of their shared future.
Nepal and India have had an old boundary dispute over Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura, and Kalapani, with India maintaining that the territories are part of Uttarakhand. Khanal said that true interdependence means shared borders act as 'highly efficient bridges, not frustrating barriers.'
The Nepalese foreign minister also clarified that the involvement of the UK was meant in the context of availing documents and historical details from British libraries and museums, and not for mediation.
