Nepal PM Balen Shah To Meet Indian, Chinese Ambassadors As Nepal Balances Ties

Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen, will meet the Indian and Chinese ambassadors separately on Monday, marking a major change in his diplomatic approach after more than 100 days in office.

Shah will meet Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava on Monday morning and Chinese Ambassador Zhang Maoming later in the afternoon. The India first, China next schedule has drawn attention as Nepal tries to keep strong ties with both neighbours.

The meetings will mainly focus on bilateral ties. The ambassadors are also expected to brief Shah on relations with their countries and convey messages from their governments.

Shah had earlier avoided one-on- one meetings with foreign diplomats. On April 8, he instead held a joint meeting with 17 ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions in Kathmandu. He had also declined meetings with senior US officials. His meeting with Asian Development Bank President Masato Kanda in July was one of the few exceptions.

The shift comes after Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal held separate visits to India and China in June. In New Delhi, Khanal and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discussed trade, investment, connectivity, energy and people to people ties.

Khanal also said Nepal wants to settle its border issues with India through direct talks. The disputes include Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura. He said no issue was too difficult if both sides approached it with an open mind.

In Beijing, Khanal held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Nepal reaffirmed its One China policy, while both sides discussed connectivity, border management, energy, trade, investment, technology and tourism. They also agreed to speed up earlier projects.

Shah has not yet visited either India or China. His meetings with their ambassadors will therefore be closely watched as Kathmandu works to balance relations with its two powerful neighbours.

The outreach will continue on Tuesday when Shah is scheduled to meet US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Scott Urbom.

Nepal has also spoken of turning itself from a landlocked country into a “vibrant, dynamic bridge” between India and China. Shah’s latest meetings could mark the start of a more direct and active phase in that foreign policy.