President Paudel visiting Japan ahead of polls

KATHMANDU: President Ram Chandra Paudel is set to pay an official visit to Japan on February 1, about a month before the federal elections, foreign ministry officials say.

According to the officials, a four-day visit schedule has been finalized to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and Japan.

Elections have already been announced in Japan as well, while in Nepal, candidates have reached their respective constituencies to begin campaigning. With both countries awaiting the formation of new governments after their elections, President Paudel’s decision to visit Japan is being viewed from multiple perspectives, a senior foreign ministry official said.

The visit is also being seen as an important step toward improving bilateral relations at the highest level.

Nepal and Japan established diplomatic relations on September 1, 1956. Japanese authorities had expressed a desire for President Paudel to visit at the outset of the anniversary year, following which preparations for the visit moved forward, according to the foreign ministry.

During the tenure of former prime minister KP Sharma Oli, who was removed after the Gen Z protests, Japan had expressed displeasure with Nepal after Oli participated in a parade in China organized to mark the Chinese victory against Japanese aggression and published a statement that closely mirrored Chinese positions. Officials say the upcoming presidential visit is intended, in part, to help heal that rift.

“Since elections are scheduled for March 5, the Prime Minister has no foreign travel plans,” a foreign ministry official said. “That is why Japan proposed that the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations be marked with a visit by the President.”

President Paudel is considered one of Nepal’s political leaders with close ties to Japan. The Nepal–Japan Parliamentarians’ League was established 26 years ago when Poudel was the Speaker. In 2020, the Japanese government awarded him the Order of the Rising Sun, a prestigious honour conferred on foreign leaders and experts, in recognition of his contribution to strengthening Nepal–Japan parliamentary relations. The medal was formally conferred in Kathmandu on December 15, 2022.

Meanwhile, Vice President Ramsahay Yadav is also scheduled to undertake a visit to the UAE. Yadav has been invited to attend the World Government Summit to be held in Dubai from February 3 to 5 at the invitation of the UAE government.