Kathmandu, 28 Aug: Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung has said that the issue of the agreement reached between the two countries regarding Lipulekh will be raised during Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s upcoming visit to China and India. Making public the decisions of the Cabinet meeting held on Bhadra 2 on Wednesday, Nepal Government Spokesperson Gurung clarified that China and India have agreed to use Lipulek contrary to Nepal’s agreement.
Minister Gurung said that Prime Minister Oli will raise his views on the Lipulek agreement not only with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi but also with the Chinese head of government and head of state. He said, “Since the Nepali Prime Minister is going to visit China and India, he will raise his views on the issue. This issue is not something to be raised in such forums. I am confident that the Prime Minister will definitely raise the issue during the bilateral meeting.” He said that both sides are doing homework on the sideline meeting with Indian Prime Minister Modi.
Minister Gurung commented that the agreement between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar to open a trade route using Nepal’s Lipulekh land is against Nepal’s sovereign authority. “A trade agreement was reached between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indian Foreign Minister using Nepal’s Lipulek and Kalapani border points. “The issue of the India-China route through Nepal’s Lipulekh has drawn the attention of our country,” he said. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already issued a diplomatic note on behalf of the Nepalese government regarding this.
We have already expressed our disagreement with the statement issued by the foreign ministers of India and China, saying that the agreement is against Nepal’s sovereignty.” He expressed dissatisfaction that both India and China have made an agreement to use Lipulek for commercial purposes even though they know that both countries are Nepal’s territory.
Minister Gurung said that the government has been working by making legal and policy reforms and prioritizing development and good governance. He shared his experience that capital expenditure is reduced due to lack of coordination between ministries.
Minister Gurung informed that it has been decided to determine the 20 different industrial villages, industrial zones, special economic zones, dry ports, petroleum pipelines, and cable car projects operated by the private sector as national priority projects and publish their notices in the Nepal Gazette.
