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Foreign relations of Nepal

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Though the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is the government agency which is responsible for conducting the foreign relations of Nepal, historically, it is the Office of the Prime Minister (PMO) which has exercised the authority to formulate the country's foreign policies. As a landlocked country wedged between two larger and far stronger powers, Nepal has tried to maintain good relations with both of its neighbors, People's Republic of China and Republic of India.[1] However, the relationship between Nepal and India was significantly hampered by the 2015 Nepal blockade when the Government of Nepal accused India of mimicking "Russia-Ukraine" tactics by using ethnically Indian residents of Nepal to cause unrest along Nepal's southern border. India denied the allegation and said the unrest were an internal affair.[2] For the most part though, Nepal has traditionally maintained a non-aligned policy and enjoys friendly relations with its neighboring countries and almost all the major countries of the world.

Overview

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Constitutionally, Nepal's foreign policy is to be guided by "the principles of the United Nations Charter, nonalignment, Panchsheel (five principles of peaceful coexistence), international law and the value of world peace."[3]

Nepal's most substantive international relations are perhaps with international economic institutions such as the Asian Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. Nepal also has strong bilateral relations with major providers of economic and military aid, such as France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, the United States, and particularly the United Kingdom, with whom military ties date back to the nineteenth century. The country's external relations are managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister's Office.

In its foreign policy, Nepal generally seeks to balance its relations with its large neighbors India and China in order to avoid dependency on either one.[4]: 215  Nepal's relation with China has seen a major upswing in the recent years with China now becoming Nepal's top 5 aid donor to Nepal.[5] In 2021, Indian government also announced increments of aid to Nepal by nearly 13% to $130 million, to counter China's growing footprint in Nepal. However, data on the actual disbursement of aid by the Indian government remains unclear.[6]

International disputes

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In 1955, when Nepal joined the UN, Nepal had no border disputes with either of its neighbors. Both India and China without any objections, accepted the map of Nepal filed at the UN in 1955.

However, with degradation of relations between India and China during late 1950s, Indian government initiated a 'Forward Policy' along its northern frontiers which resulted in Indian military outposts being built in all unmanned areas along India's northern border. Successive Nepali government's from 1990 onwards, have continued their objection to Indian occupation of certain Nepali territories under the guise of India's 'Forward Policy'. A joint border commission continues to work on resolving the issue of removal of Indian military outpost from Nepal's Kalapani territory. As of 2017, Nepal has border disputes with India at Lipulekh and Kalapani between Darchula district and Uttarakhand and Susta in Bihar and Nawalpur district.[7] In 2018, EPG (Eminent Persons Group), a joint committee between Nepal and India finished a report on the disputed territories between these two countries. The report is yet to be submitted to the head of governments of both countries.

International trade

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Nepal has been a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) since 11 September 2003[8] and on 24 January 2017 became the 108th WTO member to ratify the WTO's Trade Facilitation Agreement.[9]

Diplomatic relations

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List of countries which Nepal maintains diplomatic relations with:

# Country Date[10]
1  United States 25 April 1947
2  United Kingdom 16 August 1947[11]
3  India 13 June 1947
4  France 20 April 1949
5  China 1 August 1955
6  Russia 20 July 1956
7  Japan 1 September 1956
8   Switzerland 10 November 1956
9  Sri Lanka 1 July 1957
10  Egypt 16 July 1957
11  Germany 4 April 1958
12  Austria 15 August 1959
13  Italy 31 August 1959
14  Serbia 7 October 1959
15  Poland 25 November 1959
16  Thailand 30 November 1959
17  Czech Republic 26 December 1959[12]
18  Malaysia 1 January 1960
19  Philippines 12 February 1960
20  Australia 15 February 1960
21  Myanmar 19 March 1960
22  Pakistan 20 March 1960
23  Netherlands 2 April 1960
24  Laos 20 May 1960
25  Israel 1 June 1960
26  Sweden 10 June 1960
27  Indonesia 25 December 1960
28  Mongolia 5 January 1961
29  Hungary 15 January 1961
30  New Zealand 1 May 1961
31  Afghanistan 1 July 1961
32  Argentina 1 January 1962
33  Chile 1962
34  Greece 2 February 1962
35  Turkey 15 November 1962
36  Lebanon 18 August 1963
37  Belgium 19 August 1963
38  Iran 14 December 1964
39  Canada 18 January 1965
40  Jordan 20 August 1965
41  Denmark 15 December 1967
42  Bulgaria 15 April 1968
43  Romania 20 April 1968
44  Algeria 29 April 1968
45  Spain 13 May 1968
46  Iraq 30 October 1968
47  Singapore 25 March 1969
48  Sudan 11 July 1969
49  Syria 26 February 1970
50  Ethiopia 15 April 1971
51  Kuwait 25 February 1972
52  Bangladesh 8 April 1972
53  Albania 23 May 1972
54  Norway 26 January 1973
55  North Korea 15 May 1974
56  South Korea 15 May 1974
57  Finland 21 September 1974
58  Tanzania 10 January 1975
59  Morocco 18 February 1975
60  Cuba 25 March 1975
61  Cambodia 18 April 1975
62  Vietnam 15 May 1975
63  Kenya 3 June 1975
64  Mexico 25 November 1975
65  Luxembourg 25 November 1975
66  Nigeria 20 December 1975
67  Libya 30 December 1975
68  Peru 28 January 1976
69  Brazil 7 February 1976
70  Portugal 1 September 1976
71  Bahrain 13 January 1977
72  Oman 21 January 1977
73  Qatar 21 January 1977
74  United Arab Emirates 22 January 1977
75  Saudi Arabia 15 March 1977
76  Costa Rica 16 August 1977
77  Maldives 1 August 1980
78  Cyprus 18 August 1980
79  Mauritius 12 February 1981
80  Iceland 25 May 1981
81  Bhutan 3 June 1983
—  Holy See 10 September 1983
82  Malta 25 September 1983
83  Brunei 3 February 1984
84  Panama 15 February 1984
85  Tunisia 14 April 1984
86  Somalia 24 October 1984
87  Zimbabwe 27 November 1984
88  Gabon 17 June 1985
89  Yemen 25 December 1985
90  Fiji 12 June 1986
91  Zambia 10 September 1986
92  Mozambique 30 September 1986
93  Nicaragua 5 October 1986
94  Venezuela 28 April 1987
95  Colombia 7 May 1987
96  Bolivia 21 May 1987
97  Estonia 20 April 1992
98  Latvia 20 April 1992
99  Ukraine 15 January 1993
100  Armenia 26 March 1993
101  Kyrgyzstan 26 March 1993
102  Belarus 19 July 1993
103  Moldova 20 July 1993
104  Slovakia 4 March 1994
105  Guyana 2 June 1994
106  South Africa 28 July 1994
107  Azerbaijan 28 February 1995
108  Seychelles 10 October 1996
109  Slovenia 2 December 1997
110  North Macedonia 6 January 1998
111  Croatia 6 February 1998
112  Ireland 19 August 1999
113  Bosnia and Herzegovina 12 January 2000
114  Lithuania 8 February 2000
115  San Marino 10 August 2005
116  Tajikistan 13 September 2005
117  Georgia 22 September 2005
118  Turkmenistan 17 October 2005
119  Ecuador 21 June 2006
120  Paraguay 2 August 2006
121  Guatemala 8 August 2006
122  Honduras 18 August 2006
123  Vanuatu 19 September 2006
124  Andorra 22 September 2006
125  Democratic Republic of the Congo 22 September 2006
126  Haiti 23 May 2007
127  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 27 September 2007
128  Dominican Republic 28 September 2007
129  Botswana 8 January 2009
130  Mali 19 November 2009
131  Lesotho 18 May 2010
132  Montenegro 18 July 2011
133  Solomon Islands 15 December 2011
134  Uruguay 18 April 2012
135  Monaco 15 May 2012
136  Mauritania 4 December 2012
137  Tuvalu 11 December 2012
138  Samoa 28 March 2013
139  Papua New Guinea 12 April 2013
140  Kazakhstan 30 June 2015
141  Jamaica 1 October 2015
142  Guinea 12 May 2016
143  El Salvador 21 September 2016
144  Uganda 12 June 2017
145  Ivory Coast 16 June 2017
146  Djibouti 14 July 2017
147  Antigua and Barbuda 25 July 2017
148  Cape Verde 3 August 2017
149  Liberia 17 August 2017
150  Niger 20 September 2017
151  Eritrea 31 October 2017
152  Bahamas 7 November 2017
153  Liechtenstein 24 November 2017
154  Angola 9 December 2017
155  Burkina Faso 29 December 2017
156  Benin 23 January 2018
157  Uzbekistan 26 January 2018
158  Saint Kitts and Nevis 30 May 2018
159  Burundi 6 June 2018
160  Rwanda 20 July 2018
161  Madagascar 26 September 2018
162  Suriname 11 October 2018
163  Togo 22 March 2019
164  Equatorial Guinea 30 April 2019
165  Eswatini 9 May 2019
166  Saint Lucia 27 August 2019
167  Ghana 25 September 2019
168  Dominica 30 April 2021
169  Gambia 24 May 2021
170  Sierra Leone 29 June 2021
171  Barbados 8 December 2021
172  East Timor 11 February 2022
173  Palau 21 March 2022
174  South Sudan 28 March 2022
175  Belize 1 April 2022
176  Trinidad and Tobago 16 June 2022
177  Malawi 17 February 2023
178  Nauru 4 May 2023
179  Cameroon 22 June 2023
180  Marshall Islands 23 June 2023
181  Tonga 1 March 2024
182  Kiribati 17 July 2024[13]

Bilateral relations

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Afghanistan

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AfghanistanNepal

Main article: Afghanistan–Nepal relations

Austria

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AustriaNepal

Main article: Austria–Nepal relations

Bangladesh

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BangladeshNepal

Main article: Bangladesh–Nepal relations

Nepal welcomed Bangladesh's independence on 16 January 1972.[14] The turning point for the two nations occurred in April 1976, when the two nations signed, a four-point agreement on technical cooperation, trade, transit and civil aviation. They both seek cooperation in the fields of power generation and development of water resources. In 1986, relations further improved when Bangladesh insisted Nepal should be included on a deal regarding the distribution of water from the Ganges River. Also recently Nepal and Bangladesh had signed MOU's that Nepal would sell 10,000 MW of electricity to Bangladesh once its larger projects are completed.[15]

Bhutan

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BhutanNepal

Main article: Bhutan–Nepal relations

Relations with Bhutan have been strained since 1992 over the nationality and possible repatriation of refugees from Bhutan.[16]

Canada

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CanadaNepal

Many Nepalese politicians and government officials criticized Canadian diplomats in the aftermath of the Kabul attack on Canadian Embassy guards in which the majority of victims were Nepalese citizens. Members of Parliament were among those who were critical of the way that Canada treated its security contractors at the embassy, leading to meetings in Ottawa between Nepalese and Canadian diplomats, including ambassador Nadir Patel.[17]

China

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ChinaNepal

Main article: People's Republic of China – Nepal relations

Nepal formally established relations with the People's Republic of China on August 1, 1955.[18] The two countries share 1414 kilometers long border in the Himalayan range along the northern side of Nepal.[18] Nepal has established its embassy in Beijing, opened consulates general in Lhasa, Hong Kong and Guangzhou and appointed an honorary consul in Shanghai.[18]

Nepal's relations with China have grown closer following China's Belt and Road Initiative.[4]: 215 

Denmark

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DenmarkNepal

See Denmark–Nepal relations.

European Union

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European UnionNepal

Main article: European Union-Nepal relations

France

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Main article: France-Nepal relations

FranceNepal

Nepal and the French Republic entered into diplomatic relations on 20 April 1949.[19] Bilateral economic cooperation programme commenced in February 1981 when the two countries signed the First Protocol amounting to French Franc 50 million loan which was converted into debt in 1989.[19] Food aid and the counterpart funds that it generated have been the main form of aid since 1991.[19] Main areas of cooperation are national seismologic network, petroleum exploration, restructuring of Water Supply Corporation, the Kavre Integrated Project and Gulmi and Arghakhanchi Rural Development Project, rehabilitation of airports, 'food for work', and others.[19]

Nepal and France have signed an agreement concerning Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investment in 1983.[19] The major areas of French investment are hotels, restaurants, medicine, aluminium windows and doors, vehicle body building sectors.[19] Alcatelhad became the leading supplier of the Nepal Telecommunication Corporation, with 200,000 lines installed, and fibre optic cables.[19] Cegelec secured a 24 million dollars contract in respect of the construction of Kali Gandaki hydroelectric project.[19]

The Government of Nepal awarded a contract to Oberthur Technologies of France in 2010, for printing, supply, and delivery of Machine Readable Passports.[19] A significant number of French tourists (24,097 in 2014, 16, 405 in 2015, and, 20,863 in 2016) arrive in Nepal from France each year.[19]

India

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IndiaNepal

Main article: India–Nepal relations

Israel

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IsraelNepal

King Mahendra of Nepal (second from left) in a 1958 visit to Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science.
Main article: Israel–Nepal relations

Nepal was the first and until recently the only nation in South and Central Asia to establish diplomatic ties with Israel. The bilateral relation between the two countries has been good. Traditionally, Nepal votes in favor of Israel at the UN and abstains from resolution opposed by the Israeli government barring few exceptions. Israel-Nepal relations are based on mutual security concerns.[20]

Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala, Prime Minister of Nepal from 1959 to 1960, had a strongly pro-Israel foreign policy. King Mahendra visited Israel in 1963 and maintained Koirala's special relationship.[21]

Japan

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JapanNepal

Main article: Japan–Nepal relations

Nepal-Japan relations date back to the late eighteenth century.[22] The relationship became formal with the establishment of diplomatic relations on 1 September 1956.[22] The Embassy of Nepal was established in Tokyo in 1965 and Japan established its embassy in Kathmandu in 1967. Nepal has honorary consulates in Osaka and Fukuoka. Japan is one of the largest aid donors to Nepal.[23][24]

Japan is the 2nd most preferred destination for abroad study to the Nepali students.[22]

Malaysia

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MalaysiaNepal

Main article: Malaysia–Nepal relations

Malaysia has an embassy in Kathmandu,[25] and Nepal has an embassy in Kuala Lumpur.[26] Both countries established diplomatic relations on 1 January 1960,[27] with bilateral relations between Malaysia and Nepal have developed from historic grounds.[28]

Mexico

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MexicoNepal

Both nations established diplomatic relations in 1975.

  • Mexico is accredited to Nepal from its embassy in New Delhi, India and maintains an honorary consulate in Kathmandu.[29]
  • Nepal is accredited to Mexico from its embassy in Washington, D.C., United States and maintains an honorary consulate in Mexico City.[30]

Norway

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NorwayNepal

Main article: Nepal–Norway relations

Diplomatic relations were established on 26 January 1973. Norway established an embassy in Kathmandu in 2000.[31][32] Norway's aid to Nepal was around 32 million USD in 2017. Norwegian aid prioritizes education, good governance and energy.[33]

In 2008, Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Minister of the Environment and International Development Erik Solheim visited Nepal.[34] In 2009, Prime Minister Prachanda visited Norway.[35] In May 2008, a small bomb exploded outside the Norwegian embassy in Kathmandu. No one was injured.[36][37]

Pakistan

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PakistanNepal

Main article: Nepal–Pakistan relations

The bilateral relations between Nepal and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan were fully established between 1962 and 1963.[38]

Russia

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RussiaNepal

Main article: Nepal–Russia relations

Serbia

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SerbiaNepal

  • A number of bilateral agreements have been concluded and are in force between both countries.[39]

Spain

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SpainNepal

Main article: Nepal–Spain relations

South Korea

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South KoreaNepal

Main article: Nepal–South Korea relations

In addition to the in-kind and monetary donations and emergency relief workers sent by the government of the Republic of Korea immediately after the latest earthquake in Nepal[40] the Korean government provided grant aid worth 10 million US dollars to assist with Nepal's recovery and reconstruction efforts.[41]

Turkey

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TurkeyNepal

Main article: Nepal–Turkey relations

United Kingdom

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United KingdomNepal

Main article: Nepal–United Kingdom relations

The first British High Commissioner to Nepal was accredited in 1947.[11]

  • Nepal maintains an embassy in London.
  • The United Kingdom is accredited to Nepal through its embassy in Kathmandu.[42]

Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization. Bilaterally the two countries have a Development Partnership,[43] and an Investment Agreement.[44]

United States

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United StatesNepal

Main article: Nepal – United States relations

Nepal and the United States established the diplomatic relations between them on 25 April 1947.[45]

Embassy of Nepal in Washington, D.C.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "China is Our 'All Weather Friend', Says Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli".
  2. ^ Pokharel, Krishna (26 November 2015). "The Two-Month Blockade of Nepal Explained". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  3. ^ "WIPO Lex, Article 34 (21), the Interim Constitution of Nepal, 2007 (2063)". www.wipo.int. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  4. ^ a b Alfred, Gerstl (2023). "China in its Immediate Neighborhood". In Kironska, Kristina; Turscanyi, Richard Q. (eds.). Contemporary China: a New Superpower?. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-03-239508-1.
  5. ^ "China increases aid, FDI significantly to Nepal". Business Standard India. 18 March 2015. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  6. ^ "India raises Nepal grant by nearly 13 percent to Rs15.87 billion". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  7. ^ Groves, Stephen. "India and Nepal Tackle Border Disputes". The Diplomat. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
  8. ^ WTO, WTO Ministerial Conference approves Nepal's membership, 11 September 2003, accessed 25 January 2017
  9. ^ Nepal ratifies the Trade Facilitation Agreement, 24 January 2017
  10. ^ "Bilateral Relations". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  11. ^ a b "No. 38192". The London Gazette. 30 January 1948. p. 742.
  12. ^ Petruf, Pavol. Československá zahraničná politika 1945 – 1992 (in Slovak). pp. 99–119.
  13. ^ "Nepal establishes diplomatic relations with Kiribati". 18 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  14. ^ "Bangladesh Gains in Favor". Sarasota, Florida, US. United Press International. 17 January 1972.
  15. ^ "Nepal And Bangladesh, A Strong Relationship". Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  16. ^ http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Nepal.pdf This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  17. ^ Pandey, Lekhanath (26 June 2016). "Nepal seeks answers from Canada on Kabul suicide bombing attack". The Himalayan Times. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  18. ^ a b c "Nepal-China Relations - Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nepal MOFA". mofa.gov.np. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Nepal - France Relations - Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nepal MOFA". mofa.gov.np. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  20. ^ Visit to Israel of Honorable Mrs. Sahana Pradhan, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  21. ^ Abadi, Jacob. Israel's Quest for Recognition and Acceptance in Asia: Garrison State Diplomacy, 2004. Page 318.
  22. ^ a b c "Nepal-Japan Relations - Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nepal MOFA". mofa.gov.np. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  23. ^ Anbarasan, Ethirajan (22 September 2004). "Analysis: India's Security Council seat bid". BBC News. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
  24. ^ "Japan writes off Nepalese debt". BBC News. 12 October 2004. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
  25. ^ "Official Website of Embassy of Malaysia, Kathmandu". Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  26. ^ "Embassy of Nepal". Embassy of Nepal, Kuala Lumpur. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  27. ^ "Nepal-Malaysia Relationship". Embassy of Nepal, Kuala Lumpur. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  28. ^ "Bilateral Relations (Nepal-Malaysia)". Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nepal. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  29. ^ "Embassy of Mexico in India".
  30. ^ "Embassy of Nepal in the United States".
  31. ^ "Norwegian Development Cooperation with Nepal (Norway - the official site in Nepal)". Archived from the original on 6 September 2009. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
  32. ^ "Norwegian Embassy in Nepal". Archived from the original on 3 May 2009. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
  33. ^ "Development Cooperation". Norgesportalen. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  34. ^ Nepal's Prime Minister visits Norway April 10, 2009
  35. ^ "Nepali PM to leave for Europe _English_Xinhua". Archived from the original on 24 December 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  36. ^ "Politics/Nation". The Times Of India. 17 May 2008.
  37. ^ "Nepal travel advice". Archived from the original on 4 September 2009. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
  38. ^ "Nepal – Pakistan and Bangladesh". Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  39. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 31 December 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  40. ^ "Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea-Asia Pacific". www.mofa.go.kr. Archived from the original on 4 September 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  41. ^ "Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea-Press Releases". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
  42. ^ "British Embassy Kathmandu". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 11 September 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  43. ^ Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (17 July 2023). "Country and regional development partnership summaries". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 26 May 2024. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  44. ^ "Nepal - United Kingdom BIT (1993)". UN Trade and Development. Archived from the original on 24 February 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  45. ^ "Nepal - US Relations - Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nepal MOFA".
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