The proposal was made during the meeting between Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and his counterpart, Jigme Y Thinley, Tuesday. However, although PM Nepal has accepted the proposal it has not been specified where and when such a meeting would take place. [break]
"The problem of Bhutanese refugees is a bilateral issue. We are committed to look for a durable solution," said Finance Minister and acting foreign minister of Bhutan Khandu Wangchuk. He added, "This is a difficult problem and we are constantly discussing all options and we will continue to talk."
Some 125,000 Bhutanese of Nepali origin were living in Jhapa and Morang districts in Nepal after being chased away from Bhutan. Out of them, some 30,000 have resettled in US and other countries. But the future of the remaining refugees is uncertain.
According to sources present in the meeting, PM Nepal has requested the Bhutanese government to take back the remaining refugees.
In the last six years there has been no meeting between the two neighbors to address the Bhutanese refugee issue. Bhutanese refugee leaders have even invited India for positive intervention to resolve the problem.
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