Kathmandu, June 10 -- Nepal's Foreign Minister, Shishir Khanal, delivered a definitive statement in Parliament on Wednesday, clarifying that the government has not sought, and does not support, any third-party mediation to resolve border disputes with India.

The clarification was issued to address the political firestorm sparked by Prime Minister Balendra Shah's remarks on May 31, which had drawn sharp criticism from the opposition and led to calls for his resignation.

The controversy centred on reports that the Prime Minister had suggested the involvement of external actors, such as the UK or China, in discussing border issues, a suggestion that drew immediate pushback from both the Indian government and Nepal's domestic opposition.

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