Kathmandu, March 22
India and China are set to resume border trade this year through the Lipulekh Pass, which Nepal has included in its official map.
According to a report by India’s major news agency, Press Trust of India (PTI), the two neighbouring countries are preparing to resume border trade in the area after a six-year hiatus.
Citing Uttarakhand district official Ashish Bhatgai, PTI reported that preparations have already begun in line with central government directives for the trading season, which typically runs from June to September.
Locally known as Pulang–Gunji, Lipulekh Pass is one of three villages located in the Kalapani region. This area is currently under Indian control, but Nepal has consistently asserted its claim over it. In the past, Nepal also protested bilateral agreements between India and China regarding the Lipulekh issue in 2015 and 2020.
The trade is set to resume after India’s Ministry of External Affairs issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC).
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has informed that he wrote to Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan, requesting the resumption of trade through the Himalayan pass.
