Nepal’s Foreign Policy:
Challenges-
Some Reflections
Crux: Foreign policy is at the
heart of the advancement of a country and enhancement of its dignity in the
international system. As nothing is permanent except change, nations should be
agile[i] and
sprightly [ii]to adjust
to changes in the international setting and Nepal should not be an exception to
this. Nepal’s saga [iii]is
that of continual struggle to keep afloat [iv]in the
whirlwind of momentous changes in the outside world over the course of history.
New challenges keep emerging in the fast-paced world dominated by
technologically and industrially advanced countries which have the innovation
and endurance to deal with them. For Nepal it is sometime an ordeal [v]by fire and
at times learning by trial and error. Nepal should seek the goodwill and
cooperation of the international community through the employment of an
effective foreign policy.
Introduction
“Foreign policy is the policy of a sovereign state in its interaction with other
sovereign states.” ( Merry Webster’s Dictionary)
“Foreign policy is a policy pursued by a nation in its dealings with other
nations, designed to achieve national objectives.”
“International incidents should not govern foreign policy, but foreign policy
incidents” (Napoleon Bonaparte, French General, Politician and Emperor
(1769-1821)
“Here is my first principle of foreign policy: good government at home.”
(William E. Gladstone, British Statesman and Prime Minister (1809-1898)
“Foreign policy is composed of goals sought, values set, decisions made and
actions taken by states and national governments acting on their behalf in the
context of the external relations of national societies. It constitutes an
attempt to design, manage and control the foreign relations in national
societies.” (Dr. Raghunath Mahabir)
Foreign policy, broadly defined, is the course set at given times
determining the relationships, policies and actions of a country with or toward
other states and international entities. Religious and ethnic groups,
corporations, and the media are influential and expressions of public opinion,
variously mediated, are often politically decisive in what is, overall, a
remarkably effusive, democratic culture.
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Diplomacy
Diplomacy as a method of communication between
various parties, including negotiations between recognizes agents, is an
ancient institution and international legal provisions governing its
manifestations are the result of countries of state practice.
-
Malcolm M.
Shaw, International Law
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Geo political
realities and economic considerations must always dictate the foreign policies
of small nations. This is particularly true for those which are landlocked. In
the case of Nepal, these considerations are reinforced by her culture and
traditions. It is not too fanciful to describe Nepal’s historic foreign
policies as closely approximating the ethos of non-alignment principles which
are clearly even more relevant today.
Foreign policy making
process is never determined by a single factor because it is the result of the
interplay of a large number of factors that get primacy in accordance with time
and circumstances. For example, Nepal’s non-aligned foreign policy is the
product of its geographical location, historical antecedents and changing international
context. The psychology of self-preservation is not a new innovation for Nepal
as it had caught the immediate attention of the King Prithvi Narayan Shah while
formulating policies of the newly unified Nepal. It must be noted that foreign
policy of any country imbibes both the elements of the continuity and change.
Though political
component is the predominant element in conditioning foreign policy of Nepal, a
complex of factors plays a more subtle role in it. This is especially true when
it comes to managing external relations with two big neighbors: India and
China.
Nepal’s cultural
relation with India and China (Tibet) which is of enduring nature is a case in
point. For several generations, perhaps from the time of primitive societies,
cultural exchanges have been taking place actively. Those being involved in
such exchanges do not naturally care much for the regulatory instruments for
conducting modern international relations. It is a relation involving the
continuity of millennia of peoples’ exchanges on a daily basis.
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