As she prepares to return home after completing her diplomatic assignment in Nepal, the schedule of Australian Ambassador to Nepal Felicity Volk remains packed with farewell receptions and other diplomatic engagements. Amid this whirlwind, Republica had the exclusive opportunity to sit down with her and explore her remarkable journey as a diplomat in Nepal—a tenure marked by deep engagement, significant milestones and personal fulfillment. Ambassador Volk's 35-year career in diplomacy has taken her across the globe, yet she describes her last three and a half years in Nepal as the most rewarding chapter of her professional life. In this conversation, Republica’s Editor Kosh Raj Koirala delves into her experiences, the memorable moments that have shaped her time in Nepal, and the lasting impact she hopes to leave behind. From strengthening the bonds between Australia and Nepal to her hands-on approach in promoting social inclusion and preserving cultural heritage, Ambassador Volk’s tenure has been a period of significant growth and connection between the two nations. She reflects on her journey and the positive developments that have unfolded during her time as Ambassador. 

Excerpts: 

How would you describe your tenure in Nepal? What are some of the memorable moments or accomplishments during your time as ambassador here in Nepal?

I've had 35 years now as a diplomat, and these last three and a half years in Nepal have been the happiest, most satisfying, and professionally rewarding of all my 35 years. Nepal has been a high point for me. It's been a high point because the relationship between Australia and Nepal is very positive. It is without irritants and supported by an extraordinary human bridge between our countries, with 180,000 Nepalese having made Australia their home. We have around 56,000 Nepalese students in Australia enjoying high-quality education. I hope many of them will return to contribute to Nepal's development. We also have around 40,000 Australians who come to Nepal as tourists each year. It's a very warm relationship, an easy relationship, and we've seen a lot of progress during recent years. We had our first visit by a ministerial-level official, our Assistant Foreign Minister, the Honorable Tim Watts, in May 2023. It was a historic visit because it had been so long since we'd had such high-level engagement.

One of my deep satisfactions was the first return from Australia of a stolen artefact from Nepal. The thirteenth century tundal had been taken from Ratneshwortemple in the 1970s. It passed through various hands and ended up at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. I was very pleased to be here to witness its return to Nepal during the Assistant Foreign Minister’s visit last year. This restitution reflects Australia’s deep commitment to working with Nepal to recover and return stolen heritage; simply to do the right thing.

Another area of great satisfaction has been our efforts to support the rights and interests of marginalized communities, including through NGOs working with people living with disabilities. Promoting social inclusion has been a very important part of my work here, particularly with regard to gender equality.

You are known for going beyond traditional diplomatic protocols and engaging directly with the public. Can you share any particular experiences or stories from your interactions with ordinary Nepalis that have left a lasting impact on you?

I don’t think there is any "ordinary" Nepali. Every Nepali I've met has shown such a beautiful spirit of hospitality and an extraordinary embrace of people like me who come from the outside. What has struck me most about my time here is that, despite arriving without a deep knowledge of Nepal’s cultural and religious practices, people have been so tolerant. The phrase "guest is god" is something I've experienced every single day. It’s very humbling. Nepali people, from so many different ethnicities, cultures, social and religious backgrounds, and languages, all want to share their culture with me, which has made my experience here incredibly rich.

I've had profound experiences with many people. Two who come to mind immediately are two young Nepali women I’ve mentored through a program with other international women leaders Ambassadors and heads of aid agencies and international organizations. I had the privilege of working with Pinky Sris Rana, a journalist and documentary maker, and supporting her to find her professional footing. My second mentee, Sumana Lawati, is a young woman with extraordinary talent. Working with her to encourage her aspirations has been very satisfying. Everywhere I’ve been, from the high mountains to the Terai and here in Kathmandu, I've met extraordinary Nepalis from all walks of life.

Australians tend not to be very protocol-driven or hierarchical. We regard everyone as equals. As the Australian Ambassador in Nepal, I've been motivated by a desire to connect with people, regardless of their background, and to foster meaningful connections with them.

What progress has been made in strengthening trade relations during your time here? Which sectors do you see as having the most potential for future collaboration?

This year, we reached an important milestone in our trading relationship. While we have flourishing relations across the board, the area where we need to focus more attention is our commercial relationship, specifically trade and investment between Nepal and Australia. I was keen to see a formal mechanism put in place to advance this cooperation, and that has taken shape as the Trade and Investment Framework Arrangement (TIFA). We worked for several years to agree on a common text, which sets up a Trade and Investment Committee. This committee, led by the Secretary of the Ministry for Industry, Commerce, and Supplies on the Nepali side and representatives from the Australian side, will meet annually to discuss promoting trade, identifying new opportunities, reducing barriers, and working with businesses and investors.

The TIFA was signed in February this year in Perth. Former Foreign Minister N P Saud came to Australia for the Indian Ocean Conference, and we had a signing ceremony in the margins of that event. Ambassador Kailash Pokharel represented Nepal, and our Assistant Foreign Minister signed for Australia. The first TIFA Committee talks are scheduled to be held in late October in Kathmandu. We will bring a delegation of officials to discuss key sectors, such as agriculture and agribusiness, where there are complementarities between Australia and Nepal. The renewable energy sector is another area with potential for collaboration, particularly in hydropower, green hydrogen and solar energy. Additionally, the IT sector shows promise, with Nepal’s skilled young population and Australia’s needs aligning well.

The Nepali diaspora in Australia has grown to 180,000, and the number seems to be increasing. How has this influenced bilateral relations, and what is the Australian government doing to support this community?

The Nepali community in Australia is our fastest-growing migrant community, having doubled in the last five years. It is now our ninth largest migrant community. The community is very active and well-integrated into broader Australian society, while also sharing Nepali culture, festivals, and food. This community plays a critical role in trade and investment as we see them returning to Nepal, wanting to invest and contribute to Nepal’s development after spending years in Australia.

The Australian government is very engaged with the diaspora community. For example, when Assistant Foreign Minister Tim Watts visited Nepal, he met with his significant Nepali constituency in his electorate to discuss where he should focus his attention. Upon returning, he reported back to them on his activities in Nepal. This close relationship between our government leadership and the Nepali community is a source of great support to the diaspora.

There has been a growing demand to start an Australian visa service in Kathmandu. Could you provide any updates on the progress that has been made in this area?

I understand the request for a visa office in Kathmandu, but from my conversations with our Department of Home Affairs and Immigration Service, there are no plans to reopen a visa office here. This is not specific to Nepal but is part of a global approach for efficiency. A number of years ago, the Department of Home Affairs decided to centralize visa processing in a few key locations globally. For our region, the visa office is in New Delhi, managing visas for Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Bhutan. This hub-and-spoke model allows us to manage visa applications efficiently. Everything is managed online, so there is no need to send passports anywhere. This system allows workloads to be moved around quickly if needed, ensuring an efficient process. So, it's unlikely we would open a visa office in Nepal; this centralized model has proven very effective.

The Nepali side has long advocated for the initiation of direct flights between Nepal and Australia. What advancements have been made toward making this a reality?

Australia and Nepal signed an Air Service Agreement (ASA) in 2019, but it took until this year for the airline industry to seek to operationalize it. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed progress, but there has been renewed activity recently. Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has actively pursued this opportunity and submitted all necessary documentation to the Australian Government authorities in May this year. NAC has just had a delegation in Australia to advance discussions, and things are moving forward positively.

The regulatory process takes time, involving a close scrutiny of safety, transport security and other factors. It would be helpful to NAC’s interests if the legislation to separate CAAN’s regulatory and operational functions moved forward in Nepal, as this would support greater safety in the aviation sector. But overall, the feedback indicates that the process is progressing well. The business case for direct flights is strong, given the substantial traffic between Nepal and Australia. We’ve already seen direct flights during COVID-19 for repatriation purposes, so the potential is clearly there.

You are also an acclaimed writer. Did your experience in Nepal influence your writing in any way, or can we expect to see reflections of Nepal in your future literary works?

My experience in Nepal has influenced my writing in two ways. First, my role as ambassador has been so busy that I’ve had no time to write. But on the flip side, my time here has been so rich and mind-expanding that it has given me many ideas for future writing projects. My plan is to retire when I leave Nepal, after 35 years in the Foreign Service, but I’m retiring into my second career as a writer. I have ideas for a couple of books based on my experiences in Nepal—one fiction and one non-fiction. I hope to return to these projects and start writing again once I finish my tenure as Ambassador. I also plan to return to Kathmandu for a few months every year to use it as my base for these projects. So, I will be back.

As you prepare to return home, what legacy do you hope to leave behind in Nepal?

I hope to be remembered in a few key areas. One is my work in the social inclusion space. Australia and Nepal share strong common values in relation to social inclusion. These values are evident in Nepal’s Constitution and in Australia’s efforts to engage with and support different ethnic groups, castes, and marginalized communities through our development program. I've emphasized social inclusion as a core value of the Australian Embassy’s engagements across the spectrum of our activity here. I hope my work has amplified important messages around gender equality, providing opportunities for people living with disabilities, including people from all castes and ethnicities, and showing respect and tolerance for all communities. If I’m remembered for contributing to those principles, I’d be happy.

Another important legacy is the significant advancement in the trade and investment relationship between Australia and Nepal through the TIFA. I hope that the TIFA will deepen our commercial ties and create new opportunities in areas where Australia and Nepal have complementary interests, opportunities and aspirations.

Lastly, a small but meaningful legacy was the return of the stolen tundal to Nepal. This first restitution was important from both a practical point of view and as a symbol of two governments working together to do what is right. The spirit of good faith between Australia and Nepal in this matter means a lot to me, and I hope it continues into the future.

Any message you would like to leave for political leaders, policymakers, and the people of Nepal?

I'll start with a specific point: at this moment, we've just seen milestone progress on the TRC bill and Nepal’struth and reconciliation processes. I want to congratulate everyone involved—from the political leadership and government to civil society and the international community. All parties have played a role in encouraging this milestone. Of course, the accolades must go principally to the government for achieving this outcome, though the most important work of implementation lies ahead. After three and a half years of closely watching this space, it is extraordinary to see this achievement. I am so happy to have been here to witness the bill’s passage through the two houses of parliament. I also pledge that Australia will look for ways to support implementation once the Government has identified specific needs to support effective delivery of the TRC Act. So, I want to congratulate the government on its work to advance these critical issues that will create a stronger, more healed, more successful, and more prosperous Nepal.

Secondly, I urge all parties—government, business, civil society, academia, and youth—to find ways to work together to provide opportunities for young people. I would like to see more political stability in the country, more economic prosperity, greater transparency and accountability, and good governance. These are the foundations for economic growth and foreign direct investment, which together can create opportunities for everyone, including young people who are currently looking outside the country for their futures. I would like youth to be able to look within the country with a sense of hope and confidence that there are opportunities for them here.

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