Now Reading: Nepal PM Balendra Shah to meet Indian, Chinese envoys on Monday
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Nepal PM Balendra Shah to meet Indian, Chinese envoys on Monday
Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah will hold his first one-on-one meetings with foreign envoys since taking office, meeting Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava on Monday morning followed by Chinese Ambassador Zhang Maoming the…
The Story in Brief
Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah will hold his first one-on-one meetings with foreign envoys since taking office, meeting Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava on Monday morning followed by Chinese Ambassador Zhang Maoming the same afternoon. He will also meet US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Scott Urbom on Tuesday. The meetings, delayed by recent communal violence in the Terai and Madhesh regions, are expected to be introductory.
Shah, who was sworn in on March 27, had previously avoided individual meetings and held a joint courtesy meeting with 17 ambassadors in April. He also declined to meet US officials. Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal, who visited both New Delhi and Beijing in June, has described Nepal as a potential bridge between its two giant neighbours.
The Indian Opinion
The narrative that a single meeting order proves Nepal tilting decisively towards India oversimplifies Kathmandu's balancing act. Both envoys were called on the same day, and the PM has also scheduled the US charge d'affaires. The real test is whether Shah will offer concrete concessions, on transit, trade, or border issues, to either neighbour, or merely maintain the symbolic parity his foreign minister has been preaching.
Sources (2): thehindu.com, economictimes.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
