Balen ends envoy snub amid protests, to meet India & China ambassadors
Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah is ending his policy of avoiding one-on-one meetings with foreign diplomats by scheduling talks with the Indian and Chinese ambassadors. This move follows domestic protests and criticism regarding his administration's diplomatic isolationism.
Why it matters
The shift in diplomatic strategy is crucial for Nepal's foreign policy balance between its two powerful neighbors, India and China, amid internal political pressure.
NEW DELHI: Nepal prime minister Balendra Shah is set to break his self-imposed rule of avoiding one-on-one meetings with foreign diplomats by holding separate talks with Indian ambassador Naveen Srivastava and Chinese ambassador Zhang Maoming this week, a diplomatic reset that comes as his govt faces growing street protests and questions over its early policy choices. The two meetings are expected to be held on the same day, an arrangement meant to signal that both India and China remain central to Nepal’s foreign policy.Shah took office on March 27 after riding a Gen Z-driven political wave that promised a break from Nepal’s old political order, but his first weeks in power were marked by an unusual diplomatic posture.
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