Nepal, India to resolve disputed areas

Officials of Nepal and India have agreed to resolve the disputed Kalapani and Susta areas on the basis of documents both countries possess, local newspaper The Himalayan Times reported on Wednesday. Representatives of the two countries signed a joint minute in this regard at the end of a two-day meeting of the Joint Technical Committee on Nepal-India Boundary that concluded in New Delhi Tuesday. The leader of the Nepali team and Director General of Land Survey Department Toyanath Baral said that the 29th meeting of the committee, that was formed 29 years ago to deal with the Indo- Nepal border dispute, was an ice-breaking one. Both Nepal and India lay claim on some parts of Kalapani and Susta regions. Baral said an understanding was reached to exchange documents and maps in the next meeting that will be held in Kathmandu in September this year. The leader of the Indian delegation and Survey General of India Maj Gen Gopal Rao said the meeting was "highly positive." The meeting also decided to set up a mechanism to immediately deal with other problems of similar nature on the border, Baral said. The Nepali side grouped 15 officials from the Home, Defense, Law and Foreign Ministries. Suggestions put forward in the meeting will be presented to the Foreign Ministries of the two countries. Source: Xinhua