Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s separate meeting with the Indian ambassador on Monday, alongside planned individual talks with the Chinese and US envoys, marks a departure from his previous policy on foreign diplomatic engagement.
Nearly four and a half months after taking office, Shah received Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava at the Office of the Prime Minister for a one-on-one courtesy call on Monday.
Prime Minister Shah met with 17 Kathmandu-based ambassadors collectively on April 8. The meeting on Monday signals a sharp shift from his earlier stance. Earlier, the Prime Minister’s Secretariat had indicated that the PM would refrain from meeting foreign officials below the rank of a minister. The Prime Minister’s Secretariat reportedly declined meeting requests from visiting foreign dignitaries, including the US Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs and the Indian Foreign Secretary, Vikram Mistry.
The move to replace collective briefings with direct, one-on-one sessions with key global powers reflects a change in the Prime Minister’s foreign policy strategy.
According to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, discussions with Ambassador Srivastava covered the broad spectrum of Nepal-India relations, focusing on mutual interests, development partnerships, energy, infrastructure, and cross-border connectivity. Srivastava congratulated Shah on assuming the office and pledged continued support to strengthen bilateral ties. Similarly, Shah underscored the need to deepen the historic and multifaceted relationship between the two nations, according to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat.
