KATHMANDU, Sept. 25: Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal has called for Nepal to turn its location into an advantage and become an economic, digital and strategic bridge as Asia’s influence grows.
Speaking at an Asia Society event in New York titled “Steering Nepal’s Future in Asia’s Rising Century”, Khanal said Nepal should not allow its difficult geography to limit its ambitions, according to his private secretariat.
“Nepal is not small. Nepal is strategically located,” he said. “The size of our neighbours is a geographical reality, but it should never set the limits of our ambition.”
Two-day Huawei Digital Nepal Conclave 2022
Referring to the recent floods as a “Himalayan tsunami”, Khanal said the disaster had shown why climate change must be a strategic priority in Nepal’s foreign policy. He called for effective early warning systems, the sharing of water data, predictable grant-based climate finance and practical cooperation with neighbours and international partners.
Asia’s rise offers Nepal an opportunity, he said, noting that the continent is home to about 60 percent of the world’s population and accounts for a large share of the global economy. Kathmandu, he added, could become a centre of Asia’s economic and social transformation.
“Our question is no longer how Nepal survives between two large neighbours. Our question is how Nepal creates value between them and beyond them,” Khanal said.
He pointed to Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, and historical figures such as Arniko and Bhrikuti as reminders of Nepal’s place in Asian culture and civilisation. “Our ancestors understood a simple truth: connection creates prosperity; isolation deepens poverty,” he said.
Khanal said Nepal could link its hydropower potential to the region’s economic growth, noting that it was already exporting clean electricity to Bangladesh through India. Production in special economic zones near the border could also connect Nepal to global supply chains, he said.
Cooperation with China should rest on practical, commercial and long-term foundations, Khanal said. He called for connections across the Himalayas through roads, tunnels, dry ports, air services, digital networks and cross-border rail links.
While Nepalis must decide their country’s future, international partnerships can help them pursue it, he said. Khanal welcomed investment and cooperation from the United States, Europe, ASEAN, Latin America and other partners.
