New Delhi, May 11 (IANS) Prime Minister Balendra Shah of Nepal deliberately refused to meet India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and United States envoy Sergio Gor on separate occasions, sparking debate in Kathmandu about sovereignty, protocol, and the risks of straining ties with major partners, according to reports.
“PM’s policy of not meeting foreign officials needs more nuance,” highlighted an editorial in The Kathmandu Post, adding that he “need not meet every foreign official. But a blanket refusal may not be a wise policy.”
It was in reference to reports stating that Misri’s planned two-day visit was postponed after it became clear that Shah would not meet him.
Sections of Nepal’s media noted widespread speculation that the Prime Minister’s reluctance stemmed from his policy of avoiding one-on-one meetings with foreign officials below ministerial rank, especially amid tensions over the Lipulekh border issue.
A Tibet Tribune report on Monday claimed that Shah’s refusal was linked to Nepal’s objection to the India-China Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route via Lipulekh Pass.
The controversy centres on Nepal’s claim that the high-altitude trijunction area of Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura belongs to it under the 1816 Sugauli Treaty, while India insists the territory lies within Uttarakhand and has historically been used for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra since 1954.
The online news site described Shah’s “equal stature” policy as a deliberate diplomatic signal, insisting on parity in engagements.
“Most recently, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s scheduled Kathmandu visit was cancelled after his repeated requests for an audience with the Nepali Prime Minister went unanswered,” added The Kathmandu Post editorial.
According to the editorial, Misri “was coming to Nepal to officially invite Shah to visit India, on behalf of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi”.
The newspaper further stated that “both in the case of Misri and Gor, other members of the Cabinet like Swarnim Wagle and Sisir Khanal had urged Shah to reconsider his decision. But Shah was firm on his stand”.
The Nepali Premier, the editorial added, had earlier accepted an unofficial invitation, and preparations were underway in both Kathmandu and New Delhi for his visit.
“Yet it was later revealed that Prime Minister Shah would not be making any foreign visits for a year,” it said, warning that “India must understandably feel snubbed”.
An earlier report in The Kathmandu Post noted that Shah avoided meeting United States Assistant Secretary of State Samir Paul Kapur, reinforcing his stance of selective engagement.
Media reports also stated that Shah refused to meet Gor, a claim his office had formally communicated.
Gor instead met Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal and Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle.
Analysts in Kathmandu interpreted Shah’s move as an attempt to establish a new diplomatic protocol, though critics warned it could unsettle foreign partners, as the Khumbule news website reported earlier this month.
However, according to Shah’s press aide Dipal Dahal, the Prime Minister’s schedule was “too tight”.
Local analysts, however, stressed that he is consciously avoiding meetings with diplomats below head-of-state or ministerial rank, another report claimed.
“Shah can, and should, refrain from meeting every foreign official who arrives in Nepal. Such casual meetings only degrade the image of the highest office in the land. Yet he should also be mindful that Nepal’s close friends do not feel offended and the country’s interests are not compromised in the process,” summed up The Kathmandu Post editorial.
–IANS
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