ministry of foreign affairs government of nepal annual report (2016/17) kathmandu, nepal august ...

192 Pages·2017·2 MB·English

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
GOVERNMENT OF NEPAL
ANNUAL REPORT
(2016/17)
KATHMANDU, NEPAL
AUGUST 2017

Nepal: Facts and figures
Geographical location:
Latitude: 26° 22' North to 30° 27' North
Longitude: 80° 04' East to 88° 12' East
Area: 147,181 sq. km
Border:
North—People's Republic of China
East, West and South — India
Capital: Kathmandu
Population: 28431494 (2016 Projected)
Country Name: Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
Head of State: Rt. Honourable President
Head of Government: Rt. Honourable Prime Minister
National Day: 3 Ashwin (20 September)
Official Language: Nepali
Major Religions: Hinduism, Buddhism
Literacy (5 years above): 65.9 % (Census, 2011)
Life Expectancy at Birth: 66.6 years (Census, 2011)
GDP Per Capita: US $ 853 (2015/16)
Monetary Unit: 1 Nepalese Rupee (= 100 Paisa)
Main Exports: Carpets, Garments, Leather Goods, Handicrafts, Grains
(Source: Nepal in Figures 2016, Central Bureau of Statistics, Kathmandu)
Contents
Message from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs
Foreword
1. Year Overview 1
2. Neighbouring Countries and South Asia 13
3. North East Asia, South East Asia, the Pacific and Oceania 31
4. Central Asia, West Asia and Africa 41
5. Europe and Americas 48
6. Regional Cooperation 67
7. Multilateral Affairs 76
8. Policy, Planning, Development Diplomacy 85
9. Administration and Management 92
10. Protocol Matters 93
11. Passport Services 96
12. Consular Services 99
Appendices
I. Joint Statement Issued on the State Visit of Prime Minister
of Nepal, Rt. Hon’ble Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal
‘Prachanda’ to India 100
II. Treaties/Agreements/ MoUs Signed/Ratified in 2016/2017 107
III. Nepali Ambassadors and Consuls General Appointed in 2016/17 111
IV. Foreign Ambassadors Who Presented Credentials to the
President in 2016/17 112
V. Foreign Ambassadors Who Completed their Tour of Duty in
2016/17 114
VI. Nepali Diplomatic Missions with Concurrent Accreditation 115
VII. Appointment, Tenure Extension and Promotion of
Honorary Consuls General/Consuls of Nepal in 2016/17 120
VIII. Honorary Consuls Representing Foreign Countries in
Kathmandu (Approved in 2016/17) 122
IX. Nepali Ambassadors / Consuls General Who Served
in Diplomatic Missions Abroad 123
X. Record of High-level Visits as of July 2017 136
XI. Speeches/ Statements Delivered during High-level
Visits in 2016/17 142

Message from Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Hon. Krishna Bahadur Mahara
We are all well-aware that the promulgation of the Constitution 2015 was
a culmination of Nepal’s ‘unique and home-grown’ peace process. This
materialized the long-cherished aspirations of Nepali people to have a Constitution
written by their own elected representatives. This year, implementation of the
inclusive democratic Constitution continued to remain crucial in our efforts to
institutionalize democratic gains and achievements made over a long period of
time through people’s arduous struggles and revolutions.
In this context, the country witnessed successful holding of local-level elections
after a gap of nearly two decades. The Government also made preparations
for provincial and federal elections within the timeframe as stipulated in the
Constitution.
For the first time in Nepal’s history, the Constitution has clearly defined the
major elements of national interest and reinforced the fundamental bases for
the conduct of an independent and balanced foreign policy of the country.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs continued to pursue foreign policy objectives
within these parameters with the aim of enhancing the country’s image in the
international arena. In doing so, the historic achievements of Nepali people were
highlighted with an aim to sustaining goodwill and support of the international
community to our democratic transformation and socio-economic development,
among others.
Our foreign policy priorities were directed towards consolidating multifaceted
relations with the neighboring countries. High-level exchanges, reactivation of
important bilateral mechanisms and conclusion of some important instruments
were the main features of our engagements with the neighbours. Continuous
efforts were also made to enhance our relations with the major powers and
development partners as well as the countries across the globe. Our relations
with labour destination countries also received priority.
Our engagements in regional organizations and multilateral forums remained
substantial. We played an active role in advancing regional cooperation under
SAARC and BIMSTEC and contributed to international peace and security
through our participation in various UN peacekeeping operations. Solidarity and
cooperation with LDCs and LLDCs continued to characterize the pursuit of our
common agenda.
We made visible progress in service delivery from Departments and Diplomatic
Missions. The Department of Passports was awarded an ISO certification, thereby
making it the first government agency to receive such a certification in quality
management system. Similarly, the Department of Consular Services provided
effective and efficient services including through the use of information and
communication technologies.
In the conduct of development diplomacy, we sought to promote our vital
economic interests abroad. We remained effortful in attracting more foreign
investment in our national priority sectors, mobilizing assistance in reconstruction
efforts, promoting tourism and expanding export trade.
Against this backdrop, the Ministry is publishing this Annual Report incorporating
the major activities undertaken by the Ministry, its Departments, and Diplomatic
Missions abroad in the Fiscal Year 2073/74 (16 July 2016- 15 July 2017). This
publication aims at sharing information with the wider public on the conduct of
Nepal’s diplomacy and international relations during this period.
It is my hope that this Report will serve as a reference for academicians, students,
journalists and general public interested in the foreign affairs of Nepal. My
sincere appreciation goes to the editorial team for their efforts in bringing out
this report. I also thank all other officials at the Ministry, its Departments and
Missions abroad for their contributions to this report.
Krishna Bahadur Mahara
Foreword
We are happy to bring out the Annual Report 2016/17 as a part of proactive public
disclosure. We have tried our best to make this Report more comprehensive and
elaborate based on the experience of the previous publications.
I am confident that this Annual Report, as a compendium of initiatives, activities
and achievements of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our Missions in
2016/17, will add to the repertoire of information and knowledge about Nepal’s
diplomatic engagements.
The role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is pivotal in safeguarding Nepal’s
vital interest. It is in this context that the whole diplomatic machinery was
mobilized taking cognizance of domestic political developments and evolving
external situations.
The Legislature-Parliament’s Committee on International Relations and Labour
provided important directives and guidelines in the conduct of diplomacy. The
Ministry regularly consulted relevant stakeholders on important foreign policy
issues.
A High-Level Foreign Policy Review Task Force (HLFPRTF) was set up
under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Minister for Foreign Affairs to recommend
the foreign policy priorities and the ways to implement them effectively in
consonance with the domestic realities and to respond to the rapidly changing
external environment. A number of consultative groups on foreign policy issues
including the one representing private sector were constituted.
Our diplomatic outreach was further expanded this year. The number of countries
with which Nepal established diplomatic relations reached 147. With the
establishment of the Embassy in Madrid (Spain) and the Consulate General in
Guangzhou (China), our overseas diplomatic presence expanded to 38 stations.
Likewise, we established bilateral consultation mechanisms with a number of
countries across the continents.
Our relations with neighbouring countries witnessed both expansion and
consolidation. A series of high-level visits helped enhance trust and understanding
paving the way for greater cooperation on mutually beneficial areas.
Nepal further strengthened friendship and broadened the partnership with
major powers and development partners for socio-economic development. Our
engagement with labour destination countries was substantial. We continued to
give priority to safety, security and well-being of the migrant workers. We also
made efforts to strengthen bilateral relations with countries in Asia, Oceania,
Africa, Latin America and other regions on the basis of mutual benefit and
cooperation.
Realizing meaningful cooperation through deeper integration underpinned our
diplomatic efforts on regional front. With this vision, we consistently pursued
regional cooperation under SAARC and BIMSTEC. We continued to participate
actively in UN peacekeeping operations with the sole objective of contributing
to the international peace and security. We remained proactive in advancing the
common cause of LDCs and LLDCs. Our regional and multilateral engagements
have helped us earn prestige as a responsible member of the international
community.
Economic interest remained at the core of our engagements, efforts and initiatives
under development diplomacy. We have initiated the process of developing
concrete country-specific strategies in accordance with our needs and priorities.
This will be helpful for our Missions to undertake development diplomacy
related activities.
The benchmarks set by the Ministry and its Missions were instrumental in
making the public service efficient and effective. The Ministry also introduced
the performance evaluation criteria for the Heads of Departments and Divisions
as well as the heads of Nepali Diplomatic Missions.
Institutional strengthening of the Ministry and the Missions and capacity
building of its cadres also remained our priority. A draft of Foreign Service Act
was prepared through internal consultations, which remains to be processed for
legislation. Foreign Service officials were given language training, short and
long-term diplomatic courses both at home and abroad.
The Ministry laid emphasis on coordination with relevant agencies of the
Government of Nepal in pursuit of foreign policy objectives. A large number
of coordination meetings were held in preparation of high-level visits and other
important diplomatic engagements. The Council of Ministers, through a decision,
made it mandatory for the relevant authorities of the Government to consult and
seek the views of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on all matters pertaining to
external relations.
In a nutshell, the Report encompasses our efforts and achievements in furthering
Nepal’s enlightened national interest in tandem with the changed domestic
situation and evolving external environment. As improvement is always