“We have prepared an action plan and submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA),” Toya Narayan Gayawali, joint secretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies (MoCS) told Republica. This action plan aims to modernize the working style of the existing consular offices and embassies in different countries. [break]
According to Gayawali, the action plan prepared by the MoCS seeks to utilize the diplomatic missions to promote and advertise the Nepali products in the international market. MoFA, which is compiling all the action plans from different ministers related to the economy such as, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoAC), Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA) and Ministry of Finance (MoF), will soon finalize the draft of the policy.
MoCS, for its part, has prepared an action plan that is solely connected to the trade and commerce. “Our action plan is for promotion of Nepali goods and services in the international market,” the official said, “More than that the diplomats should put effort on expanding Nepali business interests in other countries.”
Moreover, MoCS has also accommodated a task in the action plan to incorporate the Nepal Trade Integration Strategy (NTIS) - 2010. “MoCS is also anticipating the diplomats to support NTIS -- a blueprint that was prepared by government to boost export of certain goods and services that have comparative advantage -- and enhance the market potentials of the goods and services that it has identified,” an official said.
Broadly, economic diplomacy is supposed to negotiate with other trading partner and countries on issues related to tariff and non-tariff. “Market accesses for domestic products, lobbying for removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers, transport and transit, border management are the major issues that should be considered by economic diplomats,” Gayawali said, “We are also working here to make those arrangement coherent.”
Economic diplomacy became a buzz in Nepal after 1990. “However, it has not materialized or practiced properly in our case,” on official at the MoCS said, “It´s good that steps have been taken in that direction no matter how late.”
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