Nepal has not sought third-party mediation on border dispute with India: Foreign Minister Khanal

Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal has firmly stated that Kathmandu is not seeking mediation from any third country to resolve its border dispute with India. He emphasized that Nepal's long-standing position remains focused on bilateral dialogue and diplomatic engagement to settle all outstanding issues.

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We need historical evidence, and we simply wanted to explore whether we could gain access to certain documents that may be available in libraries or archives in the UK. However, this does not mean that we have sought mediation. That is not what he [PM Shah] intended to convey.

Khanal addressed journalists in New Delhi, aiming to clear up any confusion stemming from recent comments by Prime Minister Balendra Shah. The Prime Minister had spoken about exploring historical documents related to Nepal's territorial claims. Khanal explained that this exploration, potentially involving archives in the UK, does not equate to seeking mediation. He stressed that Shah's parliamentary statements clearly indicated a preference for resolving disputes through dialogue and diplomatic channels, a position Nepal continues to uphold.

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If you listened to what he said in Parliament, he stated very clearly and specifically that we want to resolve our border disputes through dialogue and diplomatic channels. This has been Nepal’s longstanding position, and it remains our position today.

Many of Nepal's border issues trace back to historical developments, particularly the 1816 Treaty of Sugauli, which established the boundary with British India. Minister Khanal affirmed that these matters would be addressed through negotiations and diplomatic processes between the two nations.

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When we sit down at the negotiating table, these issues will be resolved through discussions between the two sides and through diplomatic mechanisms. We want to settle our differences through diplomatic processes.

This clarification came shortly after Khanal's bilateral talks with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. While official statements from both foreign ministries did not explicitly detail the border dispute discussions, diplomatic sources indicated it was a prominent topic in their restricted meeting. The ministers reportedly agreed to revitalize existing bilateral mechanisms for border issues, ensuring more frequent meetings. A technical committee, the Survey Officials’ Committee, is slated to convene in late August to further these efforts.

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The gap between meetings of various bilateral mechanisms has been too long, so both ministers have decided to activate all mechanisms and ensure that they meet more frequently.