India open to engaging with Nepal to resolve boundary issues

TIL Desk/World/New Delhi/ India on Thursday indicated its readiness to engage with Nepal to resolve the festering border row on the basis of mutual sensitivity and respect. India is monitoring the current situation in Nepal, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said referring to Kathmandu deferring a plan to bring in a constitutional amendment to validate a new map that depicted Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as its territory.

 “We note that this matter is receiving careful consideration in Nepal, taking its seriousness into account,” he said at an online media briefing. In the midst of a border dispute with India, Nepal last week released a revised political and administrative map of the country laying claim over the strategically key areas of Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura.

India reacted angrily to the move saying such ‘artificial enlargement’ of territorial claims will not be acceptable and asked the neighboring country to refrain from such ‘unjustified cartographic assertion’. “India is open to engaging with all its neighbours on the basis of mutual sensitivity and mutual respect, in an environment of trust and confidence. This is a continuous process and requires constructive and positive efforts,” Srivastava said.