Kathmandu, October 19:

Bhutan has proposed the Nepal government to hold bilateral talks on the Bhutanese refugees in Thimpu instead of Nepal.

Bhutanese Prime Mi-nister Khandu Wan-chuk, over a telephonic conversation with Deputy PM and Minister for Foreign Affairs KP Oli, today, cited Bhutanese King’s birthday on November 11 and his busy schedule as reasons for their reluctance to hold talks in Nepal.

However, Deputy PM Oli cited inconvenience to hold talks at the proposed date and timing.

Oli, talking to journalists at the Foreign Ministry, today said he was not keen on changing the location of talks from Nepal to Bhutan.

He said told the Wanchuk that he would respond after holding discussions on the issue in Nepal.

“Postponement of date and time should not be a hindrance,” he said pointing out that the meeting would possibly be held in “third week of November.”

Meanwhile, a day after Bhutanese human rights campaigner Tek Nath Rizal turned down the US proposal to resettle some 60,000 refueees in its land, the Refugee Rights Coordinating Committee today labelled Rizal’s statement as “misleading” and welcomed the US efforts as a “comprehensive concept”.

“While the refugee tragedy continues, most of the exiled Bhutanese leaders have failed to realise a solution of the crisis,” the statement said. “RRCC welcomes and supports the US efforts to resettle the Bhutanese refugees.”