Prime Minister Nepal’s Foreign Policy Priorities

In a nation where ambassadors of the rank of Under Secretary or a Joint Secretary can meet the head of the government or even the head of state at any given time and day of the week, there is no reason for the Prime Minister or President of those countries to waste their time and visit Nepal. The manner with which our leaders have cheapened themselves by repetitively making the same mistake of frequently meeting foreign envoys to ask their advice on domestic political developments has taken its toll on the authority and respectability of the Nepali state as a whole.

By Nishchal N. Pandey

It has become customary for every new Prime Minister of the country to pay ritualistic visits to India and China. However such customary homage has done little to promote Nepal's relations in a concrete manner with either of our two neighbours. We need to bear in mind that after Indian Prime Minister I.K. Gujral visited Nepal in June 1996 no Prime Minister of India has paid an official visit except for Atal Behari Vajpayee who came here to attend the 11th SAARC Summit. Current Prime Minister Dr. Man Mohan Singh found time last year to visit Bhutan but has not come to Nepal as yet. Furthermore no President of India has visited Nepal in the last 11 years. The last one was President Narayannan who came here in May 1998.

This sorry account is not only confined to our southern neighbour. As regards to China, although there are a lot of to and fro visits taking place at the think-tank and business levels, the desire to come to Nepal does not seem to be there at the highest political level. After President Jiang Zemin’s visit in 1996 at the invitation of Late King Birendra, and despite the change of nearly 10 governments in Kathmandu there has not been a single visit at the level of the President. Yes, Premier Zhu Rongji did come here but even that was a good 8 years ago.

Why has our diplomacy become so one-sided or is it because we have failed to emphasize upon the importance that we attach to our bilateral relations with both India and China that we have become neglected in international and regional affairs? One of the foremost raison d'être of this serious blow to our image abroad has been the gross political instability in the last one decade. These highest-level visits take time to plan and execute but as soon as the dates or programs are finalized, the host in Kathmandu gets changed and a new person arrives in the scene. The frequency is so expeditious that even our immediate neighbours can only wait and watch the events as they unfold. But there is a second explanation, too. In a nation where ambassadors of the rank of Under Secretary or a Joint Secretary can meet the head of the government or even the head of state at any given time and day of the week, there is no reason for the Prime Minister or President of those countries to waste their time and visit Nepal. The manner with which our leaders have cheapened themselves by repetitively making the same mistake of frequently meeting foreign envoys to ask their advice on domestic political developments has taken its toll on the authority and respectability of the Nepali state as a whole. Therefore, the first foreign policy priority of newly appointed Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal should be to invite the Prime Minister of India Dr. Man Mohan Singh and the President of China Hu Jintao to pay an official visit to Nepal at their earliest convenience. This will not only set upright the nose-dive that our foreign policy has taken in the last couple of years and instill in the Nepali people a certain degree of self-respect but also revitalize our bilateral relations in the political, economic and cultural spheres. The second priority must be to correct the drift of our conduct of international affairs. We have been changing our Ambassadors in tandem with the change of guard in Singha Durbar. However, we are not bothered on what they do or have been doing for the sake of the nation after they begin work in those capitals until a new government comes in and abruptly decides to recall them. They have neither a clearly outlined ToR for their duty nor a plausible plan of action or a strategic thought to achieve on behalf of the government that has sent them. There is a need of skilled diplomatic representation from our envoys at this critical juncture of our history not simply collect donations for their party.

It is simply absurd to talk about economic diplomacy in a nation that witnesses bandhs on the flimsiest of reason, where the entire winter has passed without electricity and where the industrial and agricultural belt of the Terai is harbouring more than two dozen armed groups that compete with one another in abduction, loot, murder and planting bombs. Nothing concrete in the short-term can be achieved by harping the old tune of economic diplomacy. It takes perseverance, effort, ample resources, skilled ambassadors and political stability back home to promote Nepal’s exportable items or attract foreign investment.

One of the assets of Prime Minister Nepal is that he is known to be a flexible political leader that can do the tightrope walking between extremes during these challenging times. He has a lot of friends internationally not only politicians but also in the civil society, academia and the strategic community. Other than regular duties of the Prime Minister, it is here that he needs to make a distinct and a durable mark for himself.

(The author can be contacted at: nina@ntc.net.np)

(Editor’s Note: Nepalis, wherever they live, as well as friends of Nepal around the globe are requested to contribute their views/opinions/recollections etc. on issues concerning present day Nepal to the Guest Column of Nepalnews. Length of the article should not be more than 1,000 words and may be edited for the purpose of clarity and space. Relevant photos as well as photo of the author may also be sent along with the article. Please send your write-ups to editors@mos.com.np)

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