The government will soon formulate a Defense policy to clarify Nepal’s position towards signing the international Ottawa Treaty that bans landmines, a published report said Tuesday.
“We are taking a serious look at existing laws related to explosives and will soon come up with a clear policy regarding the use of landmines,” the Himalayan Times quoted Defense Ministry spokesperson Bhupendra Poudel, as saying.
The Ministry will coordinate with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Home and Law before finalizing such a document, the daily said.
It further said the government might take its own time to sign the treaty due to the existing eight-year old Maoist insurgency in Nepal. Around 147 countries are already signatories to the Treaty, the daily added.