One year of Nepal FM Arzu: People centric measures, India outreach, multilateralism

Nepal's foreign ministry, under its women foreign minister, Dr Arzu Rana Deuba is marking one year, a year that saw new people-centric measures, diplomatic outreach to neighbouring India, and mega summits like Sagarmatha Sambaad etc. The Fourth Oli Cabinet took charge on 15th July, 2024, with new foreign minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba taking charge that month.

India outreach

Her diplomatic innings opened with a key visit to India in August 2024, where she engaged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar. A significant outcome was India’s decision to import an additional 251 MW of electricity from Nepal, bringing the total to nearly 1,000 MW. This marked a milestone in energy cooperation, boosting Nepal’s economy through electricity exports. Discussions also touched on operationalising additional port facilities for Nepal, enhancing trade and transit, and progress on the Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project. Indian, Nepali foreign ministers have later met in Muscat and Delhi.

People-centric measures

The Ministry has been tackling internal challenges by conducting organization and management changes to address understaffing & expand consular services. New consulates in Dallas, San Francisco, and Dubai, alongside mobile services, improved access for the Nepali diaspora, particularly in the US and Middle East has been the ongoing focus.

"Nepalis abroad have complained that they lack prompt access to passports and consular services. For example, there are currently at least 70,000 Nepalis in California, USA, and over 100,000 in Texas. They have to go to New York or Washington, D.C., to get consular services, compounding their difficulties. To address these difficulties, consulates general have been established in Dallas, San Francisco and Dubai in the UAE, following an O&M survey in the ministry," the Ministry statement read.

Repatriations of Nepalis in distress

People-centric measures include rescue & repatriation efforts for the Nepali diaspora during the Bangladesh protests of last year, & during the Iran-Israel conflict this year. Following the request to the Indian government, 11 of 16 Nepalis returned to Nepal with the help of the Indian Embassy in Iran. A rapid response team was formed in the Nepali Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the speedy rescue and repatriation of Nepalis in the impacted west asian countries.

In the case of Bipin Joshi, who is believed to be in Hamas custody, taken after the Oct 2023 terror attack, the foreign minister has reached out to several of her counterparts. Dr Rana has urged the foreign ministers of Israel, Qatar, Egypt, and Iran to take initiatives for Joshi's freedom.

Economic diplomacy

Economic diplomacy gained momentum with the creation of an Economic Diplomacy Division, focusing on attracting foreign investment and promoting exports as Nepal prepares for its 2026 LDC graduation.

Multilateralism

The FM visited China along with PM Oli, and also represented her country at global forums like G77, the G20 summit, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit, the third ACD Summit in Doha, the sixth BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, the Women Foreign Ministers' Conference in Canada, the 81st session of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Bangkok, the 58th High-Level Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, and the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi.

Nepal has fielded candidacies for key positions in international bodies, especially for membership in the UN Human Rights Council (2027 to 2029), the Economic and Social Council (2029 to 2031) and as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (2037 to 2038), and has been reaching out to countries for support. Addressing the 58th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Dr Rana called for support from UN Member states.

Climate Change

The first edition of Sagarmatha Sambaad in May this year focused on issues of regional and global importance related to climate change. The dialogue brought together experts, policymakers, and representatives from over 20 countries. The mega meet has been in planning for years, and was postponed in the past due to the COVID pandemic.