Nepal's strategic opportunity: From joining arrangements to shaping outcomes
Summary
Nepal is being urged to shift from passive participation in regional arrangements to shaping their outcomes through strategic economic diplomacy. The article calls for stronger connectivity, investment, and clean energy cooperation while safeguarding sovereignty and strategic autonomy.
Key Points
- Nepal's foreign policy is framed as moving from geopolitical anxiety to economic statecraft and results-oriented diplomacy.
- The article argues that Nepal should use bilateral, trilateral, regional, and multilateral platforms to attract investment, expand trade, and strengthen resilience.
- BIMSTEC, BBIN, and other mechanisms are presented as vehicles for disaster preparedness, climate adaptation, food security, and cross-border electricity trade.
- A whole-of-government strategic economic diplomacy framework is proposed, with coordination between the PM Office, MoFA, and MoF.
