Welcome Remarks by Foreign Secretary Mr. Amrit Bahadur Rai at the Fifth Edition of Professor Yadu Nath Khanal Lecture Series

Welcome Remarks by Foreign Secretary Mr. Amrit Bahadur Rai at the Fifth Edition of Professor Yadu Nath Khanal Lecture Series

Kathmandu, 29 June 2026

Esteemed Keynote Speaker and former Prime Minister, Dr. Baburam Bhattarai

Honourable Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Shisir Khanal,

Honourable Ministers,

Honourable Members of the Federal Parliament,

Excellencies, Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Namaste and a very good evening!

On behalf of the Ministry, it is my distinct honour and privilege to warmly welcome you all to the Fifth Edition of Professor Yadu Nath Khanal lecture series, a flagship event of the Ministry that has been organized annually since its inception in 2022.

On this special occasion, I would like to express our sincere appreciation to distinguished guests and all participants for accepting our invitation and joining us this evening.

In this context, allow me to quote a few lines on foreign policy and diplomacy by Professor Yadu Nath Khanal, drawn from his book Nepal's Non-Isolationist Foreign Policy. I quote:

"Foreign policy is a difficult, serious and sensitive subject, more than protocol and table manners and more than information contained in cables and newspapers and, like any other such subject, demands special discipline."

Referring to our geographical location, he said: "… Nepal's foreign policy is an especially difficult matter requiring sensitive historical and contemporary insight. It is more than adhocism."

Similarly, he emphasized:

"Diplomacy is a discipline of great depth. It has linkages and priorities. We should understand our national history and national objective. We should take forward our diplomacy in an intensity of war".

Distinguished Guests,

The Professor Yadu Nath Khanal Lecture Series stands as a tribute to the pioneering legacy and enduring intellectual contributions of Professor Khanal.

His immense contribution helped shape and, as often said, "intellectualize Nepal's foreign policy", while laying foundation of a professional, specialized and competent foreign service and its institutionalization during its formative years.

Through this lecture series, we continue to draw inspiration from his originality, vision, wisdom, sharpness of judgement and commitment to the nation.

We have envisioned this platform as a forum for meaningful deliberations on different dimensions of Nepal's foreign policy, as well as on contemporary issues and emerging trends in international relations and diplomacy.

The Lecture also seeks to offer fresh and relevant perspectives on foreign policy and diplomacy, thereby assisting Nepal's foreign policy practitioners in navigating the complexities of an ever-evolving geopolitical and geoeconomic landscape.

Distinguished Guests,

Professor Khanal was born in August 1913 in Tanahun District, now situated in Gandaki Province. His academic pursuits took him from Nepal to India and the United Kingdom, where he studied Sanskrit, science and English literature.

He thus represented a rare and remarkable confluence of classical scholarship, scientific temperament and literary excellence.

This unique synthesis found expression in both his writings and his diplomatic practice, shaping his distinctive approach to foreign policy and diplomacy.

His diplomatic journey began in 1955 when he served as Member Secretary of the Nepali delegation to the Asian-African Conference in Bandung, Indonesia.

He served twice as Foreign Secretary, first during 1961-62 and later during 1967-70. To this day, he remains the only Nepali ambassador to have served in all three major countries: India, China, and the United States.

Professor Khanal was also a prolific writer. Through his diplomatic judgment and scholarly writings, he laid down important guidelines on how Nepal could pursue its vital national interests within the difficult circumstances of his time.

His vast experience, insightful observations, wisdom, and pragmatism continue to inspire succeeding generations of Nepali diplomats, intellectuals, and policymakers.

Indeed, Professor Khanal may rightly be regarded as a veteran diplomat and one of the principal architects of modern Nepal's foreign policy.

He was a master strategist in understanding geopolitical currents, a skilled negotiator in unlocking diplomatic stalemates and a fine craftsman in calibrating the precise tone and substance of diplomatic engagement.

His enduring message for a country like Nepal remains profoundly relevant: foreign policy and diplomacy must rest on clarity, consistency, credibility, and coherence.

This timeless mantra reminds us that success lies in maintaining a delicate balance and exercising sound judgment as we navigate the evolving geopolitical and geoeconomic complexities of our times.

Professor Khanal passed away in 2004, but his ideas, writings, and diplomatic legacy continue to guide Nepal's foreign policy perspective and practice.

Distinguished Guests,

The contemporary international system is currently navigating an era of profound transition and unprecedented volatility.

Traditional assumptions about the global order are being tested by renewed great-power competition, the increasing interplay between geopolitics and economics, weakening multilateral cooperation and growing competition for tech-dominance.

Competition over technological dominance, energy security, critical minerals, resilient supply chains, strategic infrastructure, connectivity and access to markets is increasingly influencing state behaviour and reshaping regional and global dynamics.

Against this backdrop, today's lecture on "Foreign Policy of Nepal: Navigating Geopolitical and Geoeconomic Trends" provides a timely opportunity to reflect on Nepal's foreign policy and to explore how we may navigate the evolving regional and international environment.

In this regard, we have with us today's keynote speaker, Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, former Prime Minister of Nepal, to share his insights, experiences, and perspectives on this important topic.

Dr Bhattarai is a well-known public figure in Nepal. He is a writer, analyst, politician and former Prime Minister of Nepal. He obtained his Master's degree in Planning from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, in 1979 and earned a PhD in Regional Development Planning from Jawaharlal Nehru University in 1986.

Over the years, Dr. Bhattarai has made significant contributions to Nepal's political discourse, public policy and national development. He continues to remain actively engaged in writing, research and public intellectual discourse on issues of national and international importance, including governance, economic transformation and foreign policy.

I am confident that today's lecture will be insightful, thought-provoking and intellectually enriching.

It will help deepen our understanding on the challenges and opportunities confronting Nepal's foreign policy and realizing our core national interests.

As customary for this lecture series, the views and perspectives shared during the lecture are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

I conclude by once again extending warm welcome to all our distinguished guests and wish you all an engaging and insightful evening.

Thank you.