Nepal will host the 18th summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) later this month. In an email interview, Rajan Bhattarai, member of the Nepalese Constituent Assembly with the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), discussed Nepal’s relations with its neighbors.
WPR: How extensive are Nepal’s diplomatic and trade ties with other countries in South Asia, and in what areas?
Rajan Bhattarai: Nepal is one of the oldest countries in South Asia and it was the first country in the region to establish diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom in 1934, well before any other countries in the region. With the departure of British colonial power from South Asia, starting with India and Pakistan in 1947, Nepal immediately worked to establish diplomatic relations with the countries of South Asia. Today, Nepal has diplomatic ties with all South Asian countries but only has embassies in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, as well as a consulate in Tibet.