Kathmandu, July 9: Seven former Nepali ambassadors to China have called on the Government of Nepal to firmly uphold the country’s longstanding foreign policy commitments, expressing concern over reports that the 99th birthday of the 14th Dalai Lama was celebrated in Kathmandu with the participation of representatives from foreign diplomatic missions.
In a joint appeal issued on Thursday, former ambassadors Rajeshwar Acharya, Mahesh Maskey, Krishna Prasad Oli, Mahendra Pandey, Leelamani Paudyal, Tanka Karki and Bishnupukar Shrestha said Nepal has consistently and unequivocally adhered to the One-China Principle and has repeatedly pledged not to allow its territory to be used for activities that could harm the interests of any friendly country.
The former envoys noted that Nepal had recently reaffirmed this commitment during the official visit of Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal to China.
Questioning whether Nepal’s longstanding foreign policy position had changed, the former ambassadors said that if the reported event had been held with the knowledge or approval of the government, it would be inconsistent with the One-China Principle that Nepal has maintained since establishing diplomatic relations with China.
They also warned that such developments could adversely affect the geopolitical balance Nepal has carefully maintained through its foreign policy.
Stating that activities of this nature could be counterproductive to Nepal’s stability, development and independent foreign policy, the former ambassadors urged the government and all concerned stakeholders to remain vigilant and exercise due prudence.
They further called on the government to ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future and to remain sensitive to issues affecting Nepal’s relations with its neighbouring countries.
People’s News Monitoring Service.
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