Remarks by the Honourable Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Shisir Khanal On Nepal Foreign Service Day

Remarks by the Honourable Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Shisir Khanal

On Nepal Foreign Service Day

Venue: Auditorium and Banquet Hall, MoFA Multipurpose Building, Tripureshwor, Kathmandu

Date: Sunday, 10 Jestha, 2083 (24 May 2026)

Foreign Secretary,

Former Chief Secretary
Former Foreign Secretaries,
Former Ambassadors and members of our diplomatic community,
Friends from the media,

Namaste and a very good evening to you all.

1. Opening

It is a pleasure to be with you today as we commemorate Nepal Foreign Service Day-a day that marks the historic legal codification of the Foreign Service as a specialized branch of the civil service on the 10th of Jestha, 2018 B.S., exactly 65 years ago.

Today, we celebrate far more than an institution; we honour a proud legacy of dedication, professionalism, and service to the nation. We pay tribute to the quiet architects of Nepal's diplomatic identity-those who, often with limited resources but unwavering conviction, safeguarded our sovereignty and advanced our national interests.

To our felicitated veterans and senior officials here today, the nation owes a profound debt of gratitude. As Sir Isaac Newton famously noted, 'If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.' On this special day, we evoke that very spirit, looking back with immense reverence at the giants of our diplomatic history who carved out the path we so proudly walk today.

2. Government Priorities: Good Governance and Economic Diplomacy

As we celebrate our past, we must also ground our diplomatic mission in our current national realities. The overarching mandate of our government is clear: delivering good governance, driving robust economic growth, and instilling absolute institutional integrity.

Foreign policy cannot exist in a vacuum; it must be a direct mirror of our domestic aspirations. The Constitution of Nepal defines national interest not only in terms of sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also in terms of the economic prosperity and well-being of the Nepali people.

Therefore, our primary strategic pivot must be a focused priority toward Economic Diplomacy. We must transform our traditional approach to actively leverage international partnerships for foreign direct investment, tourism development, technology transfers, and market access for Nepali goods. Our diplomacy must yield tangible economic outcomes that trickle down to our citizens, proving that our foreign apparatus is a vital investment in Nepal's future prosperity.

Similarly, a country's image is never static. Nepal possesses immense natural, cultural, and civilizational strengths that can further elevate our image and dignity in the world.

The time has come for us to work collectively and in close coordination to harness these soft-power assets and project Nepal with greater confidence, clarity, and purpose on the global stage.

3. Navigating Geopolitical Realities and Global Flux

We are operating in an era of intensifying global uncertainty. The geopolitical landscape is shifting rapidly; alliances are being rewritten, multilateral institutions are under strain, and the global economy is in systemic flux. From climate crises impacting our Himalayan glaciers to rapid technological disruptions, the world around us is moving at an unprecedented speed, scale and scope.

In these turbulent times, the demand for diplomatic acumen, strategic foresight, and sophisticated negotiation has never been higher. Nepal's geopolitical positioning demands that we do not merely react to global shifts but anticipate them.

Navigating this terrain requires intellectual humility paired with bold, principle-driven strategy.

4. A Day of Reflection and Resolutions for the Future

True diplomatic acumen is measured by how effectively we turn global vulnerabilities into national strengths.

This day must not be reserved solely for jubilation; it must be a sanctuary for solemn reflection and renewed resolve.

Let us pass a collective resolution today to further strengthen the Ministry of Foreign Affairs into an excellent institution that serves its mandate with grace and gravity.

5. Overcoming Complacency: Capable but Not Complacent

To my colleagues in this room: let's be honest about the challenge ahead. You are some of the sharpest, most thoroughly vetted minds our nation has to offer. But the world is moving too fast for us to rely on individual brilliance alone. With frontier technologies accelerating and Nepal's demographic landscape rapidly evolving, time is a luxury we simply do not have. In addition to celebrating individual merit, we must focus on building the robust institutions our country demands.


When we look at the volatile global landscape today, we are witnessing what the scholars Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson call a "critical juncture"-a profound historical turning point where the strength and agility of our institutions will dictate our national trajectory for decades to come. In their seminal work, Why Nations Fail, the core lesson is clear: nations thrive when their institutions are inclusive, merit-based, and open to innovation, while they stagnate when they become extractive, insular, and rigid.

For too long, traditional diplomacy has leaned toward the latter-centralized within a few, risk-averse, and detached from the immediate economic realities of our people. If we are to successfully navigate a multipolar world, our Ministry of Foreign Affairs must undergo a fundamental transformation.

We must break down these old institutional barriers, build a culture of defining & achieving outcomes through, promoting absolute meritocracy, and ensure that our policies are driven by robust data driven rational processes and are informed by diverse voices from our entrepreneurs to our academics both from Nepal & abroad.

This transformation requires a radical shift in our mandate, moving from passive political management to proactive economic diplomacy. Our foreign missions can no longer operate merely as bureaucratic outposts; they must transform into dynamic hubs for investment origination, technology transfer, and market expansion. The mission posting cannot be seen as the"right" attained by successfully completing Lok Sewa Ayog's foreign service examinations but a mission & outcome driven goals for each of our staff.

To achieve this, we are going to rely on data-driven statecraft-using rigorous mission workload analyses to deploy our talent where it matters most, cut what is not necessary, strengthen our mission's capacity both in their physical and human resources capabilities and embrace digital tools to make our consular services seamless and efficient. True statecraft is not about defending the status quo out of bureaucratic inertia; it is about having the courage to lean into creative destruction and adapt to technological and economic realities of the times.

The greatness of our Foreign Service will never be measured by the privileges, titles, or perks we hold, but by the measurable impact we deliver for our country.

6. Conclusion and Best Wishes

Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let us leave this auditorium tonight with a shared, unshakeable pledge.

Let us walk forward hand in hand-united in our mission, resilient in our spirit, and proud of who we are.

Let us reinvent the proactive, agile, responsive, and innovative methods of delivering our services to the nation.

Together, we will ensure that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stands tall as the first line of defense, safeguarding our sovereignty, national interest and attaining prosperity for all.

I extend my warmest congratulations to all the officials being felicitated today.

I wish every one of you a deeply inspiring and happy Nepal Foreign Service Day.

Thank you!