Need to avoid politicisation of boundary issue: Harsh Shringla on India-Nepal ties

"We have sorted land and maritime boundary issues with Bangladesh. Similarly, there is a mechanism to resolve this. We have no doubt we will find a way to sort out these issues," the Foreign Secretary added. Having said that, Shringla pointed out the Indo Bangladesh model for resolving boundary problems.

New Delhi: Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla on Saturday said that given India's relationship with Nepal, the politicisation of boundary issues needs to be avoided. His comments come after Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who is on an official visit to New Delhi, raised the border issue, during his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Addressing the special media briefing here on PM Deuba's visit to India, foreign secretary Shringla said, "Between two neighbouring countries several issues are on the table. What is important between two friendly neighbours is that you can sit down and discuss, sort out these issues in a manner that is satisfactory to both sides and one that takes into account the facts of the matter and everything that concerns those issues".

"We have sorted land and maritime boundary issues with Bangladesh. Similarly, there is a mechanism to resolve this. We have no doubt we will find a way to sort out these issues," the Foreign Secretary added. Having said that, Shringla pointed out the Indo-Bangladesh model for resolving boundary problems. The India-Nepal bilateral ties turned sour during former Prime Minister Oli's regime after India opened an 80-km-long strategically crucial road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand on May 8, 2020.

Days later, Nepal came out with a new map showing Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as its territories. India reacted sharply to the move. Since then the relations have been at a new low. The Foreign Secretary informed the media that talks between the two leaders today were positive, forward-looking; covered areas like security, development, and trade. Nepal PM Deuba thanked PM Modi for standing by them during the Covid-19 pandemic and supplying them with vaccines, medicines, and medical oxygen.

The two leaders reviewed the entire spectrum of the bilateral agenda between India and Nepal covering political, trade, economic, energy, security and developmental issues. Shringla informed that the most significant outcome of the visit has been in the energy sector. The two sides reached a consensus on harvesting.

"This collaboration covers the entire spectrum from generation to transmission to power trade," said Shringla. PM Modi further reiterated that India would stand in support of Nepal's development and prosperity. For power trade, PM Modi conveyed to Nepal PM Deuba that their power export proposals have been cleared and will contribute to Nepal's economic prosperity. There was also a renewed commitment by both sides to move forward with the Pancheshwar project.