Nepal's Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli has expressed a willingness to sit down with the two heads of state to resolve the persisting border issue between them.
The remark from Oli came during an interview when he was asked how Nepal could play the role of mediator or negotiator between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the border conflict that escalated last year.
"We will talk to both sides. Because almost all of us are peers. All of us have been in politics for a long time", Oli told the Indian news channel Zee News.
Addressing the allegations that Nepal was supporting China, Prime Minister Oli said his country, which neighbours both India and China, had nothing to do with the Galwan Valley episode, in which Indian soldiers were killed last year.
"We share good relations with both countries. [Nepal] took a neutral stand rather than showing our softness towards China", he added.
"If India and China start fighting, it will lead to a negative impact on Nepal. So, we want our neighbours to have a good relationship. Let there be an atmosphere of trust", he said.
Since April 2020, the Indian Army and the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) have been involved in an intense border standoff.
Tensions erupted after the two countries accused each other of violating border agreements in the Ladakh region. The Galwan Valley incident on 15-16 June was the first violent clash between the Indian and Chinese armies in 45 years.
The two nations have held several rounds of military talks at the senior commander level, as well as diplomatic and political talks, but they have so far failed to resolve the matter.
