I am confident that Kalapani issue will be resolved through talks: Nepal FM

Nepalese Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali has said that Nepal has unique and close relations with India and he was confident that the Kalapani issue between the two neighbours will be resolved through talks.

"We have always said that the only way to resolve this issue is by negotiating in good faith. Without impulse or unnecessary excitement, and without prejudice, Nepal wants to resolve the border issues via dialogues, Gyawali told Republica, an English daily, during an interview.

"We are confident that this issue will be resolved via bilateral talks," he added. He, however, did not mention about Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh - the two areas Nepal claimed belonged to it.

The ties between the two countries came under strain after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a 80-KM-long strategically crucial road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand on May 8.

Nepal reacted sharply to the inauguration of the road claiming that it passed through Nepalese territory. India rejected the claim asserting that the road lies completely within its territory.

The Nepal government on Wednesday released a revised political and administrative map showing Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani under its territory, angering India which bluntly asked Kathmandu not to resort to any "artificial enlargement" of its territorial claim and refrain from such "unjustified cartographic assertion".

"This unilateral act is not based on historical facts and evidence. It is contrary to the bilateral understanding to resolve the outstanding boundary issues through diplomatic dialogue. Such artificial enlargement of territorial claims will not be accepted by India," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said.

Srivastava also asked Nepal to respect India's sovereignty and territorial integrity, hoping that the Nepalese leadership will create a positive atmosphere for diplomatic dialogue to resolve the outstanding boundary issues.

In his interview to the Nepalese daily, Gyawali said this border dispute is not new. "This is history's unresolved, pending and outstanding issue that we inherited. This is a baggage, and the sooner we resolve this, the quicker we can set our sights to the future," he said.

"Nepal wants to have a relationship based on trust and free of ups and downs, predictable friendly relations. We know that we do not have an alternative to this. So, all our efforts have been to conclude the history's baggage. We are confident that the only way to resolve the issue is via diplomatic talks and negotiations," he added.

Responding to a question, he said, "We have been trying to hold talks in the matter. However, formal talks and conversations have not taken place yet."
Gyawali expressed the view that "the Indian side is also deeply concerned and feels the responsibility to address the issue."
To another question, he said, "when India and China decided to open that road in 2015, we objected to the decision. We had objected to that bilateral agreement to use the Nepali soil without our consent."
To a question, he said, "We have two neighbours, and we cannot and will not close doors to one to open to another. This has been our established position since the ages. For us, both the neighbours are of equal importance."