Kathmandu- Foreign Minister Pradip Kumar Gyawali has stated that Nepal will not retreat even an inch from its land. Talking to BBC Hindi, Minister Gyawali said that Nepal was not in favor of dependency and that India should withdraw its troops from the occupied territory of Nepal.
“We (Nepal) do not want to retreat an inch from our land. We do not want to be dependent on one country only. We are in favor of mutual dependence,” Gyawali said.
Minister Gyawali also stated, “There are many similarities between Nepal and India. The common culture of the two countries would further strengthen the ties between the people.”
“India and Nepal have a lot in common. Cultural equality is the most critical link in strengthening relations between the two countries. Ayurveda, yoga, astrology are the same for both India and Nepal,” he said.
In addition, he said that there is a warm relationship between Nepal and Indian citizens. He also noted that religion among the citizens should not be linked with the country’s internal affairs.
“There are occasional ups and downs in Nepal and India’s relationship, but the roots of the cultural relationship are very deep. So the relationship between the people of the two countries is warm,” Gyawali said.
“But we need to understand that culture and religion should not be mixed. Religion and culture are two different things. Religion is a matter of personal belief. This is an extremely personal topic. I believe that religion should neither be brought into the internal affairs of the country nor into contact with other countries.”
Gyawali said that the border dispute between Nepal and India should be resolved immediately. He also said that the border dispute should be resolved through talks and discussions.
“The border dispute between Nepal and India must be resolved. This issue will haunt us until this is resolved. Without this solution, the relationship cannot be free from mistrust and problems. The unanswered questions of history that we have inherited.”
He added that that India was not interested in resolving the border dispute, and the talks should not be stopped. He recalled that Nepal has been holding talks for resolving the border issue for a long time.
“We have also proposed to start talks at the foreign secretary-level. But, we don’t want everything to stop. We have deep ties with India in many areas, and our relationship is to resolve the border dispute,” Gyawali said. “I do not know why India is not sensitive to this issue. Instead, India is ignoring it. The question of scripture and Kalapani is essential for Nepal because it concerns our sovereignty and integrity. This is also a crucial issue for the Nepali people. Therefore, it should be resolved in any case. For that, we have to do it based on historical treaties, documents, and evidence.”
Minister Gyawali said that the Indian media had insulted Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and made objectionable remarks about the Chinese ambassador.
“There were a lot of objectionable things about Prime Minister Oli and the Chinese ambassador to Nepal. Which was very insulting,” Gyawali said. “We want the media to work honestly and not question the credibility of the media. No other or third country can decide Nepal’s foreign policy.”
Minister Gyawali has said that India has a multifaceted relationship with India, and that Nepal wants to develop relations with all its neighbors based on global equality.
He added that that respect for sovereignty and equality in Nepal’s foreign policy is the most critical issue in the Nepal-India relationship.
“We have a multifaceted relationship with India. We do not compare the relations of any one country with the relations of any other country. Everyone has a completely independent relationship,” Gyawali said.
“Nepal wants to build a strong relationship with India. We want to move forward with strong economic ties with India, and we have succeeded in that.”
