Foreign Minister NP Saud emphasized the necessity of political consensus to address boundary disputes with India during a function in Kathmandu on Monday, commemorating the 75th Republic Day of India.
Minister Saud proposed that once the administrative-level mechanism concludes its on-the-ground work, resolving boundary issues with India should be achieved through political agreement.
The Boundary Working Group (BWG), established in 2014 by Nepal and India to restore and repair boundary pillars and address no-man’s land issues, has not convened since 2019. Despite the lack of BWG meetings, district administrations and security officials from both nations have continued mandated work in border areas.
Minister Saud called for political consensus to resolve remaining boundary disputes unresolved at the bureaucratic level, urging the BWG to convene and discuss the issues. He emphasized that activation of the administrative mechanism (BWG) should prompt diplomatic discussions based on facts, proofs, and evidence.
Although the BWG, formed during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to Kathmandu, held its last meeting in August 2019, efforts to resume discussions have been hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nepal has repeatedly urged India to restart BWG meetings, but responses from the Indian side are still pending, according to a senior official at the Ministry of Land Management.
Despite the lack of progress at the BWG level, Minister Saud highlighted commitments made during the recent visit of Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to resolve disputes through dialogue.
The Department of Survey data revealed that Nepal and India have installed 8,554 pillars along the border, with 1,325 missing and 1,956 damaged. The BWG’s Survey Officials’ Committee and Joint Field Survey Teams, responsible for field visits and technical inputs, have also stalled since 2019.
Deputy Chief of Mission of the Indian Embassy, Prasanna Srivastava, emphasized the progress in Nepal-India ties, citing the milestone achieved in 2023. He reiterated India’s commitment to Nepal as a priority country in its ‘neighborhood first’ policy and highlighted collaboration in various sectors, including political, economic, trade, development partnership, infrastructure, and connectivity.
Srivastava also mentioned cooperation in international forums, including South-South Cooperation among developing countries in the Global South.
