Ministers of Nepal and Bhutan will meet for delayed 12th ministerial meeting soon in Kathmandu, Foreign Minister Narendra Bikram Shah Sunday.

Shah said this Sunday after returning from Bhutan following meetings with King Jigme Singhe Wangchuk, the prime minister and foreign minister. Shah flew to Thimpu quietly last week.

Shah said he discussed the Bhutanese refugee issue and the delayed 12th SAARC summit with Bhutanese leaders in a quiet low-key effort to resolve a 12-year refugee issue. “It is not wise to keep wounds fresh for such a long time, ” Shah said.

The two countries are trying to draw a mechanism for the repatriation of the refugees whose status at one camp in Jhapa was verified by a joint team last year; there are seven such camps in Jhapa and Morang administered by UNHCR.

Nearly 100,000 refugees charge Bhutan for forcible expulsions while ignoring calls for early repatriation.