Balen Shah Breaks His Self Imposed Diplomatic Rule For India, China: Sources
Nepal's Prime Minister Balen Shah is shifting his diplomatic strategy by planning individual meetings with the Indian and Chinese ambassadors. This move marks a departure from his previous policy of holding only joint diplomatic meetings to maintain neutrality between the two neighboring powers.
Why it matters
The change in diplomatic protocol signals a potential recalibration of Nepal's foreign policy priorities regarding its two most influential neighbors.
Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra 'Balen' Shah is reportedly breaking his self-imposed rule of not holding one-on-one meetings with Kathmandu-based ambassadors to balance India and China ties. PM Shah is planning to meet the Indian and Chinese ambassadors separately this week.To underscore that Nepal holds New Delhi and Beijing on an equal pedestal, Shah is scheduled to meet Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava and Chinese Ambassador Zhang Maoming on the same day, The Kathmandu Post reported citing sources. While the exact dates have yet to be announced, a senior government source in Nepal also told NDTV that this was likely to be confirmed soon. The decision comes over a month after the Balen Shah government completed its first 100 days in office.Since he came to power after a Gen Z uprising, the Nepal PM has departed from long-standing diplomatic practices and refused to meet foreign envoys individually.
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