By Shashi P.B.B. Malla
There has been little positive movement in Nepal’s foreign policy. There has practically been no encouraging and constructive moves by the main proponents – whether the prime minister, the foreign minister, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the embassies abroad.
Nepalese in the Russian Army
The process of repatriating the Nepalese mercenaries in the Russian Army is taking too long.
The foreign minister was supposed to visit Moscow in this regard. Instead, he was part of Dahal-Prachanda’s entourage to the NAM summit conference in Uganda. Just shows the Nepal government’s sense of urgency and priorities [or rather lack thereof!].
In Kampala, he met the Russian deputy foreign minister, who is supposed to have given him assurances.
This again illustrates the lack of direction.
The diplomatic thrust must be concentrated in Moscow and Kathmandu. It does seem that our ‘diplomats’ have forgotten how to negotiate – but perhaps they have not learnt it in the first place!
The government has the duty to interact continuously with the families of the soldiers still serving in the Russian army, and those that have unfortunately died – and not put them off as did the MoFA officials (THT/ The Himalayan Times, Jan. 21).
The general public also has a right to the ‘progress’ of the ‘negotiations’. The silence of the government speaks volumes.
As the American singer and songwriter Paul Simon sang:
“You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows.”
PM at the NAM Summit Conference
Then, Dahal-Prachanda with nothing better to do at home, jetted off to the NAM summit conference in Kampala, Uganda with an entourage that was just too big for the trifle occasion.
Unfortunately, the government and the ruling political class have not yet realized that the ‘Non-Aligned Movement’ has lost meaning and significance.
India one of the leading founding members, has lost interest in both NAM and SAARC. Like Indonesia it has concentrated in the G-20.
Other leading countries like Egypt, Ethiopia and Iran have migrated to BRICS.
Thus, other international organizations and for a have stolen the thunder, and NAM is ideological toothless.
Nepal should concentrate on SAARC and the G-77 [now expanded to 130], where as chair of the LDCs, it can demonstrate its acumen [if it has any!].
Dahal-Prachanda’s speech was supposed to be uplifting, but it was full of platitudes. It seems the government does not have the support of polished foreign policy nerds and the backing of expert think tanks. What is MoFa’s Institute of Foreign Affairs doing anyway?
The PM’s speech was full of ‘sound and fury’, but it signified nothing!
It was a total loss of time, energy and the public’s money. Hopefully, the members of the entourage could put in some sight-seeing and shopping with our hard-earned foreign exchange!
Nepal-Sri Lanka Cooperation
On the face of it, Dahal-Prachanda’s meeting with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickreimesinghe on the sidelines of the NAM conference is to be welcomed.
Unfortunately, proper homework was not done beforehand, and considering the broken-down machinery of government in the Himalayan Democratic Republic, there will be no proper follow up.
As it is, Nepal as the chair of the ‘South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation’ (SAARC) should have long taken initiatives to revive the morose organization.
Unfortunately, our foreign policy decision-makers neither have the capability or will – let alone vision – to make SAARC again active and dynamic.
Nepal should have long been forging collaboration in matters of bilateral and regional issues and interests.
It could have concentrated as a start on deepening cooperation in the tourism sector with Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka – with untold possibilities, not least resuscitating the new but ailing Pokhara International Airport.
But hoping that present government members will ‘get things done’ [except, of course, ‘making hay while the sun shines’ and ‘feathering their own nests’] is a forlorn endeavor.
The writer can be reached at:
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect People’s Review’s editorial stance.
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