Prime Minister Balendra Shah held separate courtesy meetings with the Ambassadors of China and India today at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar, marking his first one-on-one engagements with foreign envoys since taking office .
Meeting with Chinese Ambassador Zhang Maoming
Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Nepal, Zhang Maoming, paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Shah this afternoon. During the meeting, discussions focused on further strengthening Nepal-China bilateral relations, promoting multi-sectoral cooperation, and enhancing development partnerships.
Prime Minister Shah emphasized the importance of deepening Nepal’s historical ties with China and expanding collaboration in areas of mutual interest. Ambassador Zhang extended his congratulations and best wishes to the Prime Minister, reaffirming China’s commitment to advancing bilateral relations and mutual cooperation.
The Chinese Ambassador later shared on social media that the two sides “exchanged views on our bilateral relations and practical cooperation, and the topics of shared interests in a friendly atmosphere,” and agreed “to deepen our win-win cooperation, and bring more benefits to the people of Nepal and China.”
Meeting with Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava
Earlier o, Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava also paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Shah. This meeting was significant, as it marked the prime minister’s first one-on-one meeting with a foreign diplomat since assuming office on March 27.
According to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, the two sides exchanged views on Nepal-India bilateral friendship, mutual interests, development partnership, and various areas of cooperation. Prime Minister Shah stressed the need to further deepen Nepal’s historic ties with India and foster collaboration in areas of common interest.
Ambassador Srivastava conveyed his best wishes to Prime Minister Shah and expressed his commitment to further strengthening the mutual relations and cooperation between the two countries. He later posted on social media that he had an “engaging & productive exchange of views on further deepening.
Diplomatic Significance
The decision to meet the ambassadors of Nepal’s two immediate neighbors on the same day appears to indicate that Nepal attaches equal importance to both neighboring countries . These meetings represent a departure from Prime Minister Shah’s previous practice of avoiding individual engagements with foreign ambassadors, instead holding collective meetings with Kathmandu-based envoys on April 9 and May 26 .
The Prime Minister’s decision to hold one-on-one meetings comes after more than four months of maintaining a policy of not meeting foreign diplomats individually—a stance that was welcomed by some foreign policy experts as a more transparent approach but was increasingly seen as difficult to sustain as Nepal seeks to expand its international engagement .
These diplomatic engagements align with Nepal’s broader foreign policy approach of maintaining balanced ties with both neighboring giants. Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal recently stated that Nepal aspires to “transform itself from a landlocked country into a vibrant, dynamic bridge connecting China and India,” emphasizing the country’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with both neighbors based on “sovereign equality, mutual respect, mutual benefit, and sensitivity to each other’s legitimate interests.”
