New Delhi: Nepal will never accept external interference in its domestic politics as it is capable of handling internal problems, Nepalese Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali said on Saturday in the backdrop of China wading into the political turmoil that erupted in the Himalayan nation after dissolution of its Parliament.
At the end of his three-day India visit, the Nepalese foreign minister also said that both New Delhi and Kathmandu have a "common commitment" to resolve the boundary issue and suggested that both sides are working on modalities to address it.
Gyawali, who held extensive talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday, told a group of journalists that Nepal has "excellent" relations with both India and China, adding it never compares ties with each other.
"We never accept interference in our domestic politics. We are able to settle our own problems. As a close neighbour, there may be some concerns or questions but we never accept interference," the Nepalese foreign minister said when asked about China's attempts to play a role in defusing the political crisis in the country.
Nepal plunged into a political turmoil following Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli's sudden decision last month to dissolve Parliament and call for fresh elections in view of internal feud in the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP).
As the crisis deepened, China rushed a high-level team headed by vice minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Guo Yezhou to Kathmandu hold talks with the rival factions within NCP.
The Chinese meddling triggered a strong criticism within Nepal.
Asked about allegations by NCP leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' that Oli split the ruling party and dissolved Parliament at India's behest, Gyawali did not give a direct reply, saying as Nepal's foreign minister he represents everyone including Prachanda.
At the same time, the Nepalese foreign minister justified Oli's decision to dissolve Parliament, saying he followed the democratic principle of seeking a fresh mandate from the people whose decisions are supreme in a democracy.
"In democracy, people are the final authority to decide about who will govern. I think dissolution of the Parliament is a reflection of the internal issue. It is not wise to blame anybody," Gyawali said.
"Prime Minister Oli thought that time has come to seek a fresh mandate in line with universally accepted practice of seeking people's views," he said.
Asked about the boundary row between Nepal and India, Gyawali said both the countries have common commitment to resolve the issue.
"We have the common commitment to resolve it. The sanctity and security of the border is extremely important for expanding the overall developmental cooperation...We both have realised the urgency (to resolve the border issue)," he said.
Gyawali suggested that both sides are working on the modalities in mapping the areas concerned.
Relations between India and Nepal offer limitless potential, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said after meeting Nepalese Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali here on Saturday.
Gyawali, accompanied by Nepalese Foreign Secretary Bharat Raj Paudyal, arrived here on Thursday on a three-day visit.
On Friday, he held wide-ranging talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar covering the entire expanse of bilateral ties.
"Had a wonderful meeting with the Foreign Minister of Nepal, Shri @PradeepgyawaliK today. India's relations with Nepal are not limited to governments in both the countries but it is driven by the people of the both the nations. India-Nepal relations offer limitless potential," Singh tweeted.
