UAE Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Al Nahya pays courtesty call on Prime Minister KP Oli as Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba chairs the 81st Session of ESCAP in Bangakok.
KATHMANDU: UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who came to Kathmandu after much effort and preparations, has returned disappointed. The reason was his inability to discuss bilateral issues with his Nepali counterpart.
Minister Nahyan had prepared and brought several bilateral issues for discussion. During his stay in Kathmandu, he held talks on some matters with Deputy Prime Minister and Urban Development Minister Prakash Man Singh and Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security Sharat Singh Bhandari. He also had separate courtesy meetings with President Ramchandra Paudel and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
However, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Arzu Rana Deuba, who had invited Nahyan, was in Thailand for a UN event and a family trip. Given her absence, the UAE Foreign Minister returned without substantive discussions.
Experts have criticized the government for committing a serious diplomatic blunder by neglecting the UAE, a country prioritized by the US and European foreign ministers. They argue that Nepal should focus more on bilateral diplomacy than multilateral engagements, where a foreign minister’s presence is not always mandatory, and representation by an ambassador suffices. This lack of understanding has put the foreign ministry in a difficult position.
Meetings with the Prime Minister and other ministers are considered goodwill gestures, but bilateral issues require discussions with the counterpart foreign minister.
“When a foreign minister’s visit is confirmed, the Nepali foreign minister should prioritize it,” said Dr Dinesh Bhattarai, a former ambassador and two-time prime ministerial advisor. He added that ministry officials should guide the minister on such matters.
“The UAE has excellent relations with us and prioritizes Nepal. Ignoring them is like shooting ourselves in the foot,” Bhattarai added. “Diplomacy must be taken seriously, and those in diplomatic service should work for the nation, not political affiliations.”
Senior journalist Dhruba Hari Adhikari has also criticized the foreign ministry for the lack of preparation. “The UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister visits Nepal, and Nepal’s Foreign Minister is absent! What kind of arrangement is this?” he wrote on social media.
Talking to Himal Press, Adhikari said it was regrettable that Nepal showed disregard toward a country that employs over 600,000 Nepalis. “It’s unfortunate that the UAE Foreign Minister had to return disappointed due to our Foreign Minister’s absence,” he said.
Meetings with the Prime Minister and other ministers are considered goodwill gestures, but bilateral issues require discussions with the counterpart foreign minister. A foreign ministry official accused Minister Rana of showing extremely irresponsible behavior by inviting a guest and leaving for a foreign trip. “This cannot be taken lightly. Such behavior could harm Nepal more than the UAE,” the official said.
Former ambassador Madhuban Paudel called for seriousness on such matters. “Bilateral talks should occur at the foreign minister level. It’s not ideal to delegate direct discussions to other ministries when unavailable,” Paudel, who served as deputy chief of mission in the UAE and chief of mission in Kuwait, said.
Experts say that while Nepal is a diplomatic priority for the UAE, the foreign minister’s actions suggest it is not the same for Nepal. Former ambassador Mohan Krishna Shrestha, who served as acting ambassador in the UAE, said inviting a guest and then being absent sends a disappointing message. “This is an example of irresponsibility. For such visits, the ambassador in the visiting country should be consulted to prepare and set the agenda,” he added.
Experts say that while Nepal is a diplomatic priority for the UAE, the foreign minister’s actions suggest it is not the same for Nepal.
According to foreign ministry officials, Nahyan’s visit was scheduled two months in advance. Despite knowing this, the foreign minister traveled to Thailand for a UN event and a family trip. Nepal could have sent the vice-chairperson of the National Planning or another representative to the UN event. But Minister Rana chose to prioritize multilateral engagements over bilateral relations.
“The UAE had shown more interest than Nepal in the meeting. Since the foreign minister was not available, we arranged deputy prime minister-level meetings. But the foreign minister’s absence affected diplomatic discussions,” another foreign ministry official said.
While officials from other countries visit the UAE to discuss investment and other matters, Nepal’s foreign minister was unavailable when the UAE sought to discuss investment opportunities.
Former ambassador Hari Kumar Shrestha said that even if other officials meet a visiting minister, the absence of the counterpart sends a message of neglect. “The mistake has been made. We must ensure it doesn’t happen again,” he added.
The UAE is keen to collaborate with Nepal in tourism, agriculture, and IT, and is preparing to improve bilateral tax systems to facilitate trade. Over 600,000 Nepalis work in the UAE, and the UAE has shown interest in BIPPA agreements as well as agreements on recruiting Nepali women as domestic workers and hiring retired Nepali Army and Nepal Police personnel.
Accompanying Minister Nahyan were UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Bin Ali Al Sayegh, Assistant Minister for Economic and Trade Affairs Saeed Mubarak Al Hajeri, Assistant Minister for Energy and Sustainability Abdullah Balala, UAE Ambassador to Nepal Abdullah Jarwan Al Shamsi and other senior UAE officials. They visited Nepal after trips to Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Since 2013, Nahyan, a senior member of the UAE royal family and the younger brother of the ruler, has led the UAE Foreign Ministry. His decisions are rarely reversed. He previously visited Nepal for the UAE Embassy’s inauguration in Kathmandu.
