Kathmandu: After a week of bitter rhetoric, a statement has been issued by Nepal expressing its desire to maintain special ties. External Affairs Minister Pradeep Kumar Giawali said that Nepal has a special and close relationship with India. He is confident that the issue of black water will be resolved through dialogue between the two countries.
“We have always believed that issues and disputes should be resolved through dialogue,” he told the English daily Repubblica. Nepal wants to resolve border issues through dialogue without creating unnecessary tension. He is confident that the issue of black water will also be resolved through dialogue with India. Giawali did not mention Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh even once in the interview.
Recently, the government of Nepal had issued a map regarding the claim in these two areas as well and a statement was issued by the Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Tensions between India and Nepal erupted when Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the 80-km-long road connecting Lipulekh Pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand on May 8. This road is strategically important.
The Chinese border is not far from this place. Nepal strongly opposed the road but India replied that the road was built on Indian soil. Therefore, Nepal’s claim of opposition is baseless.