Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal pitches new chapter in Nepal-India ties

Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal is seeking to forge a new path in relations with India, emphasizing a departure from past political friction towards a partnership built on pragmatism and tangible outcomes. During a visit to New Delhi, Khanal stated that the current leadership is unburdened by historical political baggage and is ready to "turn the page" on years of strained ties.

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The present leadership is free from the political baggage of the past and that the new government is ready to turn the page on years of political friction with India to build a relationship anchored in pragmatism, measurable outcomes, and mutual growth.

In an interview with NDTV, Khanal expressed the government's commitment to "resetting ties" with India and fostering a partnership focused on practical cooperation and shared prosperity. He candidly admitted that Nepal had missed significant growth opportunities while India surged ahead, attributing this stagnation partly to the "revolving door of coalition governments" in Kathmandu that often used international relations for domestic political gain.

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Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s government is committed to resetting ties with India and fostering a partnership focused on practical cooperation and shared prosperity.

Khanal highlighted the influence of the recent Gen Z movement, which he said was fueled by widespread frustration with "business-as-usual politics" and demands for accountability, transparency, and a corruption-free Nepal. He also pointed to the rise of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which he leads, as a sign of change, noting that its leaders largely come from "non-political, mostly professional backgrounds," freeing them from "certain ideological burdens of the past."

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They raised questions of accountability and transparency. They wanted a corruption-free Nepal.

The minister outlined a focused agenda for strengthening Nepal-India relations, with energy cooperation topping the list of five priority areas. He stressed the importance of engaging internationally based on "facts and evidence, not emotions," signaling a shift away from the emotional or politically motivated foreign policy of previous administrations.

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Most of us who came into the party came from non-political, mostly professional backgrounds. That meant we were free, to a large degree, from certain ideological burdens of the past.