Kathmandu, May 9:
Nepal on Friday said it is committed to resolving the border issue with India through diplomatic channels. “We have already made public our views regarding Lipulekh.
We have also expressed our view regarding the proposed Kailash Mansarovar journey between India and China via Nepalese territory, Lipulekh,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lok Bahadur Chhetri said. Nepal is willing to resolve the issue in accordance with the spirit of close and friendly relations existing between Nepal and India, Chhetri said.
His comments came days after India firmly rejected the Himalayan nation’s objection to the upcoming Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via the long-established Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand, dismissing Kathmandu’s territorial claims over the region as an “unilateral artificial enlargement” that New Delhi finds “untenable.”
New Delhi’s sharp reaction came after the Nepalese foreign ministry objected to preparations by India and China for the annual pilgrimage via Lipulekh Pass, claiming the region belongs to it.