Tackling Foreign Policy Challenges

As the new coalition government of CPN -UML and Nepali Congress take over from the predecessor dispensation plagued by scandal of corruption, declining standard of good governance, skyrocketing prices and worsening unemployment, it is clear that it is going to confront another mess in the realm of foreign policy also. For any new government, formulating a prudential and mature foreign policy is of paramount importance for its stability, protection of national interest and mutually beneficial international partnership in addition to addressing the issues of good governance. A sensible foreign policy reinforces good governance and provides the new leadership a tool for navigating the complex playfield of international diplomacy. 

In simple terms foreign policy is the art of building international relation and leverage it for serving national interest, building economic partnership, reinforcing national security, achieving prosperity for the people and enhancing the international standing of the country. As an extension of national governance, the realm of foreign policy is an arena where the acumen of a country’s leadership is tested. It includes their ability to showcase the country’s strengths, build partnership and explore the potential for exploring bilateral and multilateral cooperation. Given the mutually reinforcing nature of governance and diplomacy, it will be accurate to say that a country’s political system rests on the twin pillars of domestic and foreign policy.

Diplomatic relations

With a written history of more than three thousand years, Nepal has a long experience in the management of international diplomacy. Nepal’s foreign office is one of the oldest in the world, with its institutional history dating back to 1769, when Prithvi Narayan Shah established an office called Jaisi Kotha to manage diplomatic relations with foreign countries, especially China’s Tibet and the British Indian Empire. The office was renamed Munsi Khana by Bhimsen Thapa, the first prime minister of Nepal. During the Rana regime additional departments were created and a system of deputing envoys and sending emissaries to foreign capital was also initiated with the opening of Vakil’s office in Lhasa, Calcutta and Banaras. 

The un-institutional international engagements of Nepal with other countries extend even further back into its medieval history. During Lichhavi period, King Ansuverma established cordial relation with Tibet by marrying his daughter Bhrikuti to Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo and by setting up a trade depot in Lasha, known historically as ‘Sorha Kothis’ or sixteen commercial households. The Mallas also developed economic, cultural and political relation with neighbouring countries maintaining close and sometimes even adversarial relation with the neighbouring countries. There are historical records of intensive trade transactions between Tibet and Nepal. 

Nepal was not only a trade hub between South and Central Asia, it was also a part of the ancient Silk Road connecting Central Asia with South Asia and the Middle East. King Mahendra Malla had sent Kaji Bhim Malla to China on a diplomatic mission in 1574. The motive of this mission was to secure support from Ming Dynasty rulers as a counter balance against the Mughal Empire’s possible encroachment and to promote commerce and ensure safety and security of Nepali residential merchant community in Tibet. 

Diplomatic relation with foreign countries have been crucial aspect of statecraft from the early period of unification of Nepal. It was Prithvi Narayan Shah who formulated basic principle for conducting foreign relation and defined Nepal’s geopolitical vulnerability. The cautionary notes  he handed down to his descendants still remain valid and serve as a guiding light in the pursuit of Nepal’s foreign policy. The Rana period is also considered a significant era in the diplomatic history of Nepal. The first Rana prime minister Jung Bahadur Rana paid an official visit to Britain in 1950. Rana’s visit enhanced Nepal’s standing in the international community as a sovereign country; it paved the way to introduce modern education system in Nepal and motivated the Rana rulers to initiate administrative and military reforms in the country. 

With the establishment of first residential embassy in London in 1934, Nepal entered an era of formal international diplomacy. When Nepal embarked on democracy in 1950 after the fall of the Ranas, we had formal diplomatic relation with Great Britain, India, France and America. Nepal’s quest for achieving global standard in institutional conduct of foreign policy was realised when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was established in 1951. Nepal obtained membership of the United Nations in 1955 and became a founding member of the Non-aligned movement. It was through participation in the famous Bandung Conference in 1955 that Nepal achieved an enhanced visibility in the field of international partnership.

Neutrality

During 1960s and 1970s Nepal prioritised the safeguard of sovereignty as a cornerstone of its foreign policy. During this period, Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had a more decentralised structure leading to opening of specialised administrative divisions and creation of desks dedicated to specific regions and countries. Nepal tried to formulate a robust foreign policy promoting neutrality through the platform of Non-Aligned Movement, refusing to be part of Cold War alliances, maintaining neutrality and balance with immediate neighbours. These initiatives and political stability provided a distinct pedestal to Nepal in international diplomacy. It was this period when eminent diplomats such as Sardar Bhim Bahadur Pandey, Prof. Yadunath Khanal, Rhikesh Shah and Bhekh Bahadur Thapa contributed significantly in presenting Nepal’s vision for a peaceful international order on the world stage. 

Despite having the past history of bright diplomatic performance, Nepal’s post 1990 diplomatic operation is not impressive. Nepal has not been able to project a favourabe international image and carve out a respectable perch in the realm of diplomacy. Prolonged political instability and the frequent and premature recall of ambassadors have impaired Nepal’s international standing. In order to recover its diplomatic image, Nepal requires to reinvent its past efficiency and take drastic measures toward the institutional reform in the field of diplomacy. If the new coalition government forms domestic consensus on broad issues of foreign policy, it may be able to navigate the complex web of foreign policy challenges that lie ahead. 

(Dr. Bharadwaj is former ambassador and former chairperson of Gorkhapatra Corporation. bharadwajnarad@gmail.com)