Nepal Deputy Prime Minister CP Mainali on Saturday has said that the government would seek clarification from the ambassadors of India and European Union regarding the joint statement issued by India and European Union.

Nepal on Friday had hit out at the India- EU joint statement that referred to the need for an "inclusive Constitutional settlement" in the country, saying it was "uncalled for" and has hurt people's sentiments.

Mainali, who was speaking at an interaction organised at the Reporters' Club today, claimed that the joint statement issued by the European Union and India over the reference to Nepal and its new Constitution was inappropriate.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will summon ambassadors of India and European Union within a couple of days and seek clarification from them,' The Himalayan Times quoted Mainali as saying.

India and the European Union pledged continued support to Nepal in its reconstruction efforts following the devastating earthquakes in 2015, including capacity building and long term development, said a joint statement issued after 13th India-EU Summit in Brussels. "They also agreed on the need for a lasting and inclusive Constitutional settlement in Nepal that will address the remaining Constitutional issues in a time bound manner, and promote political stability and economic growth," the statement said.

The Nepalese Foreign Ministry, in a statement issued a day after the EU-India Summit on Wednesday, maintained that the Constitution-making and its promulgation were essentially Nepal's internal matters. "Nepal promulgated the Constitution through a democratically elected Constituent Assembly and the Constitution has fully accommodated the aspirations of the people of Nepal," it said.

Nepal has now moved ahead along the path of political stability and economic development, the Nepalese Foreign Ministry said and made it clear that the promulgation of the Constitution formally concluded the nationally-driven peace process initiated in 2006 and institutionalised significant democratic gains including the federal and republican system. "Against this backdrop, the EU-India Joint Statement not only hurts the sentiments of the people of Nepal but also defies the fundamental principle of non-interference in internal affairs of a country in breach of UN Charter and norms of international law," the statement said. "The Nepalese government called on all sides to fully respect the sovereign and democratic rights of the Nepalese people and refrain from making uncalled for statements," it said.

The statement asserted that the government and people of Nepal are fully capable of resolving their issues themselves within the framework of the Constitution. The 13th India-EU Summit, held after a gap of four years, was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and EU leaders.