Nepal’s domestic political manoeuvrings are poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the country’s foreign policy towards India and China, as a new alliance between the largest political parties in Kathmandu injects fresh complexities into a delicate geopolitical dynamic.Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, popularly known as Prachanda, was removed from office earlier this month...
Nepali Ambassador to America, Shridhar Khatri, has returned home after the previous ruling alliance including CPN (UML) recalled the ambassadors from 11 countries. However, Dr. Shankar Prasad Sharma, the ambassador to southern neighbor India, is still carrying out his duties. The government on June 6 had recalled ambassadors from 11 countries including India, UK and...
Historically, Nepal’s foreign policy has been actively pivoted by various changes and continuity. Disaster and reconstruction, diffusion of power, the rise of new regional players and non-state actors, global financial crises, increasing fiscal constraints, and the explosion of new technologies are some of the external catalysts for change while promoting national interests have always been...
India and Nepal are deeply connected through natural resources, cultural heritage, and the shared philosophy of Sanatan Dharma. Their integrated people-to-people relations stand as a testament to a living culture and heritage. The significant trade and commerce through open border check posts underscore their economic relationship and its potential for growth via Indian territory. Despite...
Oscillating between periods of cooperation and setbacks, the India-Nepal bilateral relationship is considered ‘special’ and ‘unique’ by all who observe their dynamics. Thus, the failure of the two sides to maximize their potential and fully capitalize on the factors that make this partnership different is often criticized. In the past decade, under India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’...
A research recently published by Christopher K Colley for the Stimson Center, an American think tank, nudged me to contemplate doing something I have never done before: Write a piece on foreign policy centered on Nepal from the perspective of Beijing. The paper, The Emerging Great Game Chinese, Indian and American Engagement in South Asia,...
n the Lowy Institute’s Asia Power Index 2023, 15 countries, including Japan, Russia, Australia and South Korea, are classified as middle powers, while Nepal along with nine other countries are categorized as ‘minor powers.’ The foreign policy discourse in Kathmandu is dominated by the three major powers—India, China, and the United States. There is a...
As Nepal is soon going to approach the milestone of graduating from the list of Least Developed Countries (LDCs), there is an urgency to develop a comprehensive foreign policy that goes beyond the traditional approach of the so-called “yam between two boulders”. Frankly speaking, I always struggled to understand the intrinsic meaning of the reasoning...
In my previous column, I discussed how chronic political instability is affecting the conduct of our foreign policy. Here, I delve into how foreign powers, big and small alike, influence Nepal’s foreign policy. We often criticize our politicians for their lack of maturity and consistency. In most foreign policy discourses, I often hear this question:...
Over the past few years, Nepal has found itself in the midst of a tug-of-war among three major global powers: India, China, and the US. Each of these countries are vying for influence in Nepal’s economic, military, ideological and technological spheres. Let’s begin with the US. The Biden administration in the US has made advancing...