Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat has called those opposed to the joint communiqué issued during the India visit of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “anti-nationals”.

There is no compromise on nationality and Nepal’s national interests in the joint statement, Mahat said at the Reporters’ Club in the Capital on Tuesday.

Some political parties including the Naya Shakti led by former Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai have opposed the pact. Minister Mahat called them “pseudo-nationalists.”

Defending the 25 points and the eleventh of the statement, Mahat said Nepal and India have similar positions on several international issues. “It’s wrong to say that we compromised on our nationality and national interest.”

It is not new that Nepal has decided to support India for its UN Security Council permanent membership bid, said Mahat. “If we are visiting Japan, we would say we will support Japan too.”

Mahat also defended the three statements on Saarc Summit postponement. “All the three were issued in different contexts. As the Saarc chair, Nepal has urged all the member countries to create environment conducive to the Saarc Summit.”