Despite a thaw in ties, Nepal may not drop Kalapani claim

NEW DELHI: In a sign that Nepal is unlikely to back down on the Kalapani dispute, despite the renewed engagement with India, its foreign ministry has listed publication of its new map among the highlights of Nepal’s foreign policy this year. This comes ahead of foreign minister Pradeep Gyawali’s visit to India this month.

In its Report on Foreign Affairs for 2019-20, Nepal’s foreign ministry justified the decision to issue a new administrative and political map and said it was a consequence of India not rectifying its own political map showing, as it claimed, Nepal’s Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh areas in it.

In his remarks in the report, Gyawali said he was confident the outstanding border issue would be resolved soon through constructive dialogue and on the basis of “historical treaty, evidence and facts”.


Gyawali will visit India later this month for the sixth joint commission meeting that he will co-chair with his counterpart S Jaishankar. During his recent visit to Kathmandu, foreign secretary Harsh Shringla had conveyed an invite from Jaishankar to Gyawali.

While Shringla’s visit saw the two countries acknowledging that it was important to respect each other’s sensitivities and focus on the positives in bilateral ties, Nepal has continued to push India for early settlement of Kalapani and Susta border disputes.

It reiterated in the report that Nepal-India boundary demarcation work was complete in all segments except Susta and north-western sectors and that Nepal has consistently stressed on completion of the remaining boundary demarcation work as early as possible.

According to the report, Nepal maintained that territories to the east of Kali river belonged to Nepal according to Article 5 of the Treaty of Sugauli. “Nepal requested India to rectify the map and proposed twice for holding of talks at the foreign secretary level in order to complete the pending boundary demarcation work,” it said.