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Nepal’s foreign ministry said in a statement that the government “has learned with regret” about the opening of the connecting highway connecting to the Lipulekh Pass, which Nepal claims to be part of its territory.
The new 80 km highway inaugurated on Friday by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to help pilgrims visiting Kailash-Mansarovar in Tibet in China, as it is about 90 kilometers from the Lipulekh Pass.
After opening the way via video conference, Singh said pilgrims going to Kailash-Mansarovar will now be able to complete their journey in one week instead of up to three weeks. The path originates from Ghatiabagarh and ends at the Lipulekh Pass, the gateway to Kailash-Mansarovar.
The Kailash-Mansarovar yatra involves trekking at high altitudes of up to 19,500 feet, in inhospitable conditions, including extreme weather and rugged terrain.
In raising an objection to the construction of the link road, the Nepalese Foreign Ministry said: “This unilateral act runs counter to the understanding reached between the two countries, including at the level of the prime ministers, that a solution to border problems through negotiation “.
The Lipulekh Pass is a far western point near Kalapani, a disputed border area between Nepal and India. Both India and Nepal claim that Kalapani is an integral part of their territory: India as part of the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand and Nepal as part of the Darchula district.
“The Government of Nepal has consistently maintained that according to the Sugauli Treaty (1816), all territories east of the Kali (Mahakali) river, including Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh, belong to Nepal,” the ministry said.
“This was reiterated by the Government of Nepal several times in the past and most recently through a diplomatic note addressed to the Government of India on November 20, 2019 in response to the new political map issued by the latter,” he said.
He said that Nepal had expressed its disagreement in 2015 also through separate diplomatic notes addressed to the governments of India and China when the two sides agreed to include the Lipulekh Pass as a bilateral trade route without Nepal’s consent in the Joint Declaration issued on May 5th. 2015 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to China.
“With this in mind, the Government of Nepal has proposed twice as many dates to hold a meeting of the Secretaries of Foreign Relations of the two countries, as ordered by their leaders, for which the response from the Indian side is still awaited” , said.
“The Government of Nepal remains committed to seeking diplomatic solutions to boundary problems based on the historical treaty, documents, facts and maps in keeping with the spirit of close and friendly ties between the two countries,” the ministry said.
The ministry also noted that reports prepared by the Nepal-India Eminent Persons Group (EPG) formed with the mandate to recommend measures and an institutional framework with a view to enhancing existing relations, if implemented, will pave the way for addressing outstanding issues. left by history.
Meanwhile, Nepalese police on Saturday detained dozens of youths and students as they staged a demonstration near the Indian embassy to protest the inauguration of the link road.
Protesters, including student activists from the Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU) affiliated with the ruling Communist Party of Nepal, and youth leaders urged the government to take steps to prevent India from using the road.
Construction of the highway began in 2008 and was scheduled to be completed in 2013, but was delayed due to difficult terrain in the portion between Nazang and the town of Bundi.
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