Foreign Minister Khanal says government committed to national-interest-driven foreign policy

Kathmandu, September 15

Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal has said the government is fully committed to conducting Nepal’s foreign policy with national interest at its core.

Speaking at the House of Representatives meeting on Tuesday, Khanal said the government’s foreign policy would be guided by Nepal’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, national security and long-term national interests.

Addressing questions over his remark during his recent India visit that the “current government has no old baggage”, Khanal said the statement referred to freeing foreign policy and diplomacy from the internal political polarisation and narrow political use seen in the past.

He clarified that the phrase “old baggage” was not directed at Nepal’s history, national heritage, sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence, national interests or the preservation of historical documents.

He said interpreting the remark as being against continuity of the state and government or Nepal’s national heritage would be an exaggeration.

Khanal said the “baggage” he had referred to was the past practice of using relations with neighbouring countries as an instrument for domestic political gains and losses.

“The government is determined to abandon that practice and move forward,” Khanal said, explaining the message he intended to convey through his remark.

Khanal was responding to a question from lawmaker Sita Thapaliya regarding his statement during bilateral talks on his India visit.

The foreign minister also said the government wants to take Nepal’s relations with neighbouring and friendly countries in a transformative direction based on mutual equality, respect, trust and economic partnership.

He said the government would not allow prejudice, narrow-mindedness or unnecessary distrust to dictate its approach to foreign relations.

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