In the wake of the recent agreement between Nepal and China for oil supplies, India said that it is willing to continue to facilitate airlift of aviation turbine fuel and also facilitate re-routing of
In the wake of the recent agreement between Nepal and China for oil supplies, India said that it is willing to continue to facilitate airlift of aviation turbine fuel and also facilitate re-routing of LPG supplies from those Indo-Nepalese border road crossings which are not affected, adding that the impact of the new Sino-Nepalese pact has to be seen. Nepal is facing supplies shortage due to the Madhesi stir there against the new Nepalese constitution and blockage of the Raxaul-Birgunj crossing. India also hoped its ties with Nepal “would once again return to its original status.”
“We have facilitated airlift of aviation turbine fuel earlier and we are ready to facilitate future similar operations and requests. We are also facilitating re-routing of LPG supplies from those crossings which are not affected,” MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.
He also hoped that Nepal will “sincerely” address the problems which have caused the current situation. “We have seen reports that Nepal has signed a pact with China. Nepal’s maximum trade is and through India. As far as petroleum products are concerned, 70 per cent of petrol is supplied through Raxaul-Birganj point (which is choked by the agitators). How is this (Nepal-China) pact going to help has to be seen,” he said.
He added, “We will certainly be concerned over the growth of any anti-India sentiment in Nepal and we hope that the situation, which has been caused entirely by problems on the Nepalese side, will be resolved at the earliest and our relationship would once again return to its original status.”
Asserting that India has not imposed blockade, he said the supply was blocked because Madhesis was not in agreement on provisions of the Constitution and they were not allowing supplies from the Indian side. He also hoped that the talks between the government of Nepal and Madhesis would be fruitful.
