Kathmandu, June, 7 : Former ambassador Nilamber Acharya has said the Nepali side appeared reluctant to openly raise border dispute issues during recent high-level visits to India by Rastriya Swatantra Party Chair Ravi Lamichhane and Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal.
In a social media post, Acharya described the visits as positive developments and welcomed the warm reception extended by the Indian side. “Recently, two important visits from Nepal to India took place. It is good that the visits happened. The hospitality and reception have also been positive,” he wrote.
However, Acharya said issues that Nepal has consistently raised — and should continue to raise — were not discussed during the meetings. “There was hesitation even in speaking about matters that have deeply concerned the public and stirred lawmakers. Such hesitation between friends is not good,” he said.
Nepal and India have long-standing border disputes, including disagreements over the Lipulekh area, which Nepal claims as its territory. India and China have agreed to use the Lipulekh route for the Mansarovar pilgrimage, a move Nepal has repeatedly objected to.
Despite publicly expressing concerns over the issue, both Lamichhane and Khanal only said after their meetings with Indian officials that the border dispute should be resolved through diplomatic means.
