The international community has given a cautious welcome to Nepal’s new constitution that was promulgated on Sunday.

Minutes after President Ram Baran Yadav declared the commencement of the new constitution, India’s Ministry of External Affairs extended its best wishes to the people of Nepal, but kept well short of welcoming it wholeheartedly.

“We note the promulgation in Nepal today of a constitution,” the ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

India has been urging for ‘necessary flexibility and maturity at this crucial juncture to ensure a durable and resilient constitution that has broad-based acceptance.’ New Delhi has said it is concerned about ‘escalating violence in several parts of Nepal bordering India.’

“Our Ambassador in Kathmandu has spoken to the Prime Minister of Nepal in this regard,” read the statement. India also urged that ‘differences be resolved through dialogue in an atmosphere free from violence and intimidation’ while called for a broad-based ownership and acceptance of the new constitution.

Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, who was here on a two-day visit on Friday as a special envoy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had conveyed similar message to the leaders of the ruling parties and UCPN (Maoist).

Throughout the process of constitution making in Nepal, India has supported a federal, democratic, republican and inclusive constitution, the statement said, adding that this would lay the foundation of harmony, progress and development in Nepal.

On Monday, a US State Department statement called for ‘broadest possible agreement’. UK has also urged for broad ownership of the constitution.

Several heads of Kathmandu-based diplomatic missions were in attendance at the constitution promulgation ceremony on Sunday, including Indian and Chinese Ambassadors.

On Thursday, a spokesperson at Chinese Foreign Ministry had welcomed the endorsement of new constitution. “As a friendly neighbour, Chinese side notes with pleasure the Nepal Constituent Assembly endorsed the new constitution. Chinese side supports and respects the social system and development path determined by Nepali side. China hopes that Nepal will have a new path of political stability and economic development of Nepal,” a Chinese Embassy statement quoted the ministry spokesperson as saying.

The EU, Japan, Switzerland, have also welcomed the new constitution.

Former minister and ambassador to India Bhek Bahadur Thapa described international community’s reaction to the promulgation of the new constitution as largely positive, adding that each country has its own interest in Nepal.

Since 2013, the Kathmandu-based international community has usually issued a joint statement during key events. But no such statement has been issued in the last three weeks, indicating that the diplomatic community may be divided on its response.

 A diplomat said as much adding that escalating violence in Tarai and reservations from several quarters have made it difficult to agree on the wording of a joint statement.