Strip maps covering 98 pc of Indo-Nepal boundary jointly finalised by two countries: Govt

Strip maps covering 98 per cent of the India-Nepal boundary have been jointly finalised by the two countries, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan told Parliament on Wednesday.

There are, however, differences of perception on the alignment of the boundary in some areas such as Kalapani in Uttarakhand and Narsahi-Susta in Bihar, he said in a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha.

When asked about the resolution of the boundary dispute with Pakistan, Muraleedharan said India is committed to resolving all outstanding issues with Pakistan through a bilateral dialogue in accordance with the Simla Agreement of 1972 and the Lahore Declaration of 1999.

"However, a meaningful dialogue is possible only in an atmosphere free from terror, violence and hostility. The government has made it clear that the onus is on Pakistan for creating such an environment," the minister said.

He said there is no outstanding boundary dispute with Afghanistan, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka.

With China, both countries have each appointed a Special Representative (SR) to explore the framework for a boundary settlement from the political perspective of the overall bilateral relationship, the minister said.

There have been 21 meetings of SRs, with the last meeting being held in Chengdu on 24 November 2018, he said.

"The two sides have agreed to seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary question through dialogue and peaceful negotiations," Muraleedharan added.

"With Nepal, strip maps covering 98 percent of the India-Nepal boundary have been jointly finalised and initialled by the two sides. There are, however, differences of perception on alignment of the boundary in some areas such as Kalapani in Uttarakhand and Narsahi-Susta in Bihar. The two sides have set up a high-level bilateral mechanism to discuss the matter, with technical inputs from the India-Nepal Boundary Working Group," he said.

There is no border dispute between India and Myanmar, the minister said.

"However, certain sectors of India-Myanmar boundary remain to be demarcated. Regular dialogue is held between India and Myanmar on issues related with boundary demarcation and border management, through institutionalised mechanisms such as Joint Boundary Working Group, Foreign Office Consultations, National Level Meetings, Sectoral Level Meetings and Heads of Survey Department meeting," Muraleedharan said.