Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Sunday said the country’s border issues with India will be resolved through dialogue and diplomatic efforts, while also suggesting the UK’s participation in the talks, citing Britain’s role in shaping the region’s modern borders during the colonial era.Addressing the Nepali House of Representatives for the first time since he took office after the March elections, Shah stressed the need for negotiations to resolve long-standing regional disputes.He said the border issue with India would be settled “through table talks and diplomatic efforts.” Calling for the UK to be included in the process, Shah said Britain should also be concerned about the issue as the current borders date back to the colonial period.“As they left British India, the problem was passed down generations, which is why we think England also needs to worry about it,” he said.He added, “All these issues will be resolved through cross-table talks and diplomatic channels.”According to Shah, Nepal has already exchanged diplomatic notes with India and agreed on a roadmap involving historians, surveyors and regional experts from both sides to examine geographical and historical records related to the disputed areas.
His comments come amid continuing disputes over areas including Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura. Nepal published a revised political map in 2020 claiming the Kalapani-Lipulekh-Limbiyadura region, while India rejected the move, saying the map included parts of Indian territory.Earlier this month, India reiterated its readiness to engage with Nepal on all bilateral issues, including unresolved border issues, through dialogue and diplomacy.Responding to questions regarding Nepal’s claims in the context of the annual Kailash Manasarovar Yatra, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “Lipulekh Pass has been a long-standing route for Kailash Manasarovar Yatra since 1954, and yatras have been passing through this route for decades. This is not a new development.”Regarding Nepal’s territorial claims, he added: “With regard to territorial claims, India has consistently maintained that such claims are neither justified nor based on historical facts and evidence.
Such an artificial, unilateral expansion of territorial claims is untenable.India had similarly rejected Nepal’s amended map in 2020 under the Khyber Pakhtunk Sharma Oli government, saying the move went against the bilateral understanding that outstanding border issues should be resolved through diplomatic dialogue.
