‘Kashmir issue should be resolved through dialogue’

Kathmandu, Aug 20 (IANS) Nepal's Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali has said that the Jammu and Kashmir issue should be resolved through dialogue, adding that the Himalayan nation was in "favour of regional peace and stability", the media reported on Tuesday.

Although the Nepal government has refrained from issuing an official statement on Kashmir, Gyawali, made the remarks while replying to a question during a press conference on Monday, The Kathmandu Post reported

"The Nepal government is in favour of regional peace and stability. The dispute should be resolved through talks and we firmly believe that the government of India has the acumen to resolve the dispute peacefully," the Minister said.

Gyawali's statement comes ahead of Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's arrival in Nepal on Wednesday.

Jaishankar will lead a 25-member delegation to the fifth meeting of the Nepal-India Joint Commission.

The Nepal Minister's remarks come after India on August 5 revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and divided it into two Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

"We are fully committed to regional peace and stability," Gyawali reiterated. "Any dispute or unrest in the South Asian region should be resolved through talks."

The Minister further said that the government was concerned about the plight of thousands of Nepalis living and working in Jammu and Kashmir, reports The Kathmandu Post.

"Our embassy in New Delhi is in touch with the government of India regarding the safety of Nepalis working in that region," he said.

Around 80,000 Nepalis are estimated to be living and working in various parts of Jammu and Kashmir.