Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah is set to hold separate meetings with the Indian and Chinese ambassadors on Monday, marking his first individual diplomatic engagements with foreign envoys more than 100 days after taking office.
Meetings With India and China
Shah will meet Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava in the morning, followed by a meeting with Chinese Ambassador Zhang Maoming later in the day.
The discussions are expected to focus on bilateral relations, with both ambassadors likely to brief Shah on the current status of ties and convey messages from their respective governments.
Shah Changes Diplomatic Approach
The meetings signal a shift from Shah’s earlier approach of avoiding individual meetings with foreign diplomats.
After taking office on March 27 following a landslide election victory, Shah held a joint courtesy meeting with 17 ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions based in Kathmandu on April 8. The Indian and Chinese ambassadors were among those present.
A senior Nepalese Foreign Ministry official said the timing of Monday’s meetings, with the Indian ambassador scheduled first and the Chinese ambassador later, could reflect the government’s diplomatic priorities.
Nepal Focuses on India and China
The meetings come as Nepal seeks to strengthen ties with both India and China, its two major neighbours. Shah has not yet visited either country since becoming prime minister.
Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal travelled to New Delhi and Beijing in June as part of Nepal’s efforts to deepen relations with both countries.
Khanal has said Nepal wants to strengthen ties with India and China while positioning the landlocked Himalayan nation as a bridge between the two major economies.
US Diplomat Meeting Scheduled
Shah is also scheduled to meet US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Scott Urbom on Tuesday, followed by meetings with other foreign diplomats.
The prime minister had earlier avoided individual meetings with senior US officials, including Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Samir Paul Kapur and US President Donald Trump’s special envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor.
However, Shah later held a one-on-one meeting with Asian Development Bank President Masato Kanda during Kanda’s three-day visit to Nepal in July.
Diplomatic Engagements Resume
The latest meetings follow earlier delays in diplomatic engagements amid communal violence in Nepal’s Terai and Madhesh regions.
The upcoming discussions with representatives of India, China and the United States are expected to provide an indication of Shah’s evolving foreign policy approach and Nepal’s efforts to strengthen relations with key international partners.
