Kathmandu, June 16
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said he proposed the British government to revise the 1947 tripartite agreement among Nepal, Britain and India about the recruitment of Nepali soldiers (Gurkhas) in Indian and British armies during his recent trip to London.
The British government, however, did not consider the proposal, and it did not even include the issue in the joint communique, according to Oli.
Earlier, Foreign Affairs Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali and other government officials had claimed that Nepal’s proposal to revise the treaty was one of the biggest achievements of PM’s Europe trip.
But, upon arrival from the trip at Kathmandu airport today, Oli said his British counterpart Theresa May did not agree on the proposal of removing India from the agreement and make it bilateral.
“The 1947 treaty is too old and it cannot direct and control our needs,” Oli said he told May, “Hence, there is no need to keep the tripartite agreement. We can replace it with other bilateral agreements.”
Former Gurkha soldiers and activities have been demanding that agreement be scrapped, as it does not favour Nepal.
