KATHMANDU, APRIL 18
Minister of Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali said the nation was basing its foreign policy with national interest in mind.
At an interaction organised by the International Relations Committee of the Parliament on Foreign Policy 2021 released recently, Minister Gyawali stressed the need to keep foreign affairs above the party politics.
He added that foreign policy was drafted after holding intensive consultations with stakeholders and political parties.
Minister Gyawali said peace diplomacy and disarmament was prioritised in the latest foreign policy of the country as Nepal had been advocating these agendas for quite long.
"The new foreign policy has kept the issues of climate change and economic diplomacy under utmost priority," Gyawali said.
Similarly, speaking at the programme, former prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal appealed to all to forge common views regarding the issues of foreign policy.
He also expressed dissatisfaction with the government's decision to not consult with all sides prior to releasing the policy, adding that "Such a policy needs intensive discussions."
Committee member Surendra Kumar Karki stressed the need to unveil a balanced foreign policy. "There is need to amend the foreign policy issued by the government," he argued.
Committee members Dibya Mani Rajbhandari and Mohan Baniya underscored the need to consider univocal view of all the political parties on foreign relations.
Another Committee member Dipak Prakash Bhatta emphasised wide discussion on the country's foreign policies.
The meeting was presided over by committee President Pabitra Niraula.
A version of this article appears in the print on April 19, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
