Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah said on Sunday that his country’s border issues with India would be resolved through dialogue and diplomatic efforts, while also proposing Britain’s involvement in the talks and citing its role in shaping the region’s modern borders during the colonial era.Shah, speaking in Nepal’s House of Representatives for the first time since taking office after elections in March, stressed the need for a negotiated settlement of the long-standing territorial dispute.He said the border issue with India would be resolved “through table negotiations and diplomatic efforts.” Shah called on Britain to be involved in the process, saying Britain should also be concerned about the issue because today’s borders date back to colonial times.“When they left British India, this issue was passed down through the generations, which is why we think the UK needs to look at this issue as well,” he said.“All these issues will be resolved through table dialogue and diplomatic channels,” he added, according to news agency ANI.Shah said Nepal had exchanged diplomatic notes with India and agreed on a road map involving historians, surveyors and territorial experts from both sides to review geographical and historical records related to the disputed area.His comments come as divisions persist in the territories of Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura. Nepal in 2020 released a revised political map claiming sovereignty over the Kalapani-Liplekh-Limpiyadhura region, a move India rejected saying the map included parts of Indian territory.Earlier this month, India reiterated its willingness to engage with Nepal on all bilateral issues, including unresolved border issues, through dialogue and diplomacy.Responding to a question about Nepal’s claim to sovereignty during the annual pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “The Lipulekh Pass has been a long-standing route for the pilgrimage to Mount Kailash Manasarovar since 1954 and pilgrims through this route have been going on for decades. This is not a new development.”Regarding Nepal’s territorial claims, he added, “As for territorial claims, India has always believed that such claims are neither justified nor based on historical facts and evidence. This unilateral artificial expansion of territorial claims is untenable. “India has similarly rejected Nepal’s revised map in 2020 under the KP Sharma Oli-led government, saying the move violated the bilateral understanding that outstanding border issues should be resolved through diplomatic dialogue.
