United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed Nepal Parliament’s vote to amend the constitution and hoped that the positive development would help ease the border blockade.

During a briefing,  Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in New York on Tuesday, said, “The secretary-general hopes that current positive developments could help normalise passage of supplies at Nepal’s border points and refocus attention to address urgent reconstruction and other needs.”

Responding to a question, Dujarric said that Ban “welcomes parliamentary action to amend the constitution as an important step in resolving differences on constitutional arrangements.”

Parliament on Saturday voted to amend the charter in an effort to address the concerns raised by Madhes-based parties and ensure social justice. However, Madhesis, whose protests have led to a blockade of the border with India, have rejected the amendment.

Ban encourages all parties to exercise maximum flexibility in resolving remaining issues via dialogue, Dujarric added.