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🇳🇵 Nepal /Elections & Politics

Nepal PM Shah meets Indian envoy, ends solo meeting boycott

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement New plan
  • Prime Minister Balendra Shah of Nepal met with the Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, in his first one-on-one meeting with a foreign ambassador since taking office.
  • The meeting addressed bilateral relations, mutual interests, and areas of cooperation, signaling a shift in Shah's policy of avoiding individual diplomatic engagements.
  • Shah is also scheduled to meet the Chinese Ambassador and the US Chargé d’Affaires, indicating an effort to balance relations with Nepal's key neighbors.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah has ended his self-imposed rule of avoiding individual meetings with foreign ambassadors, holding his first one-on-one session with Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava. The meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Singha Durbar focused on Nepal-India bilateral relations, mutual interests, development partnership, and areas of cooperation.

Ambassador Srivastava congratulated Shah and affirmed his commitment to strengthening relations and cooperation between the two nations. The Prime Minister's secretariat stated that Shah emphasized the need to deepen Nepal’s historic relationship with India and collaborate on shared interests. This engagement marks a significant departure from Shah's earlier policy of refraining from individual diplomatic engagements since assuming office on March 27.

The meeting covered Nepal-India bilateral relations, mutual interests, development partnership and areas of cooperation.

— Prime Minister's SecretariatDescribing the topics discussed during the meeting between Prime Minister Shah and Indian Ambassador Srivastava.

Shah's shift away from his policy of group meetings with ambassadors, which he held on April 9 and May 26, comes as he prepares to meet separately with Chinese Ambassador Zhang Maoming and US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Scott Urbom. The scheduling of meetings with Nepal's two immediate neighbors on the same day appears to underscore their equal importance, though the government maintains its foreign policy priority of engaging India first.

These meetings were initially planned two weeks prior but were postponed due to communal violence in Sunsari and other districts. Shah had previously declined requests for meetings with several senior US officials, including Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Samir Paul Kapur and special envoy Sergio Gor, as well as US Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah B. Rogers. The move to engage ambassadors individually is seen by some Nepali diplomats and foreign policy observers as a more transparent and equitable approach to diplomatic relations.

Shah emphasised the need to deepen Nepal’s “historic relationship” with India and work together in areas of shared interest.

— Prime Minister's SecretariatDetailing Prime Minister Shah's remarks on strengthening ties with India.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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