Kathmandu, September 19
Nepal’s Ministry of External Affairs says cooperation between New Delhi and Kathmandu in international fora is nothing new, two two days after the issue figured in a joint statement issued by the Prime Ministers of the two countries following their meeting in the Indian capital.
In a veiled reference to a statement from the principal opposition party the UML , the ministry said Nepal and India have a history of working together when it comes to matters related to international organisations.
The ministry said Nepal has already supported India’s bid to become the UN Security Council’s Permanent Member. “Nepal’s then Foreign Minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandey and Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj met in Kathmandu on July 26, 2014 as part of the joint commission meeting, and this issue also figured in point no.6 of the joint statement then.”
The statement also comes as a response to comments by various political leaders that agreement between Nepal and India to cooperate on issues of foreign policy could have a bearing on Kathmandu’s relations with Beijing.
