In a first, Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah met Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava, marking it his first one-to-one meeting with any foreign envoy since assuming office in March this year. Now, the courtesy call between the Nepalese PM and Indian Ambassador opens a series of discussions the Prime Minister is holding with foreign envoys, marking a clear shift toward direct, one-to-one diplomacy.
The development is being seen as a thaw in India-Nepal ties, as PM Balen Shah, earlier, had reportedly refused to meet any foreign envoy below his level.
Shah Engages in First Bilateral Talks with Foreign Diplomat
In a significant development, Shah has conducted his first face-to-face bilateral discussions with a foreign diplomat since assuming office nearly four months ago. Previously, Shah had resisted one-on-one meetings with ambassadors, opting instead for group settings to engage with multiple officials at once. This shift in approach marks a notable change in his diplomatic strategy.
Evidence and Data
Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava held a meeting with Nepal’s Prime Minister at Singha Durbar, which lasted for approximately an hour. During the meeting, Ambassador Srivastava conveyed his best wishes to Prime Minister Shah and reiterated India’s dedication to reinforcing bilateral ties. In return, Prime Minister Shah underscored the importance of strengthening historical connections between the two neighboring countries and stressed the value of cooperating closely on matters of mutual concern. Nepal is one of India’s largest and most prominent development partners. Balen Shah came to power propelled by the students’ uprising that forced former PM KP Sharma Oli to resign. Under PM Shah, the Nepal government has made several rules related to border crossings and trades that attracted widespread criticism from the public. Later, some of the rules were relaxed.
India-Nepal Cooperation for developing modern infrastructure in Nepal began in 1951 with the construction of Gauchar Airport in Kathmandu (completed in 1954). The Indian Aid Mission in Nepal was also set up in 1954 for coordinating various developmental projects of the Government of India in areas of connectivity, health, education, power and other sectors.
The discussions centered on various dimensions of Nepal-India relations, emphasizing bilateral friendship, mutual interests, development partnerships, and ongoing collaborative efforts, according to the Prime Minister’s office. Following his meeting with Srivastava, Shah is scheduled to hold a separate one-to-one discussion with Chinese Ambassador Zhang Maoming later today, followed by a meeting with US Charge d’Affaires Scott Urbom tomorrow.
