Nepal PM Balendra Shah to hold first one-on-one talks with Indian, Chinese envoys

Kathmandu: Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah, widely known as 'Balen', is scheduled to hold separate bilateral meetings with the Indian and Chinese ambassadors to Nepal on Monday, August 10, 2026. These will be his first one-on-one diplomatic engagements since assuming office more than 100 days ago.

The Prime Minister will first meet Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava in the morning, followed by Chinese Ambassador Zhang Maoming in the afternoon. The following day, he is expected to meet Scott Urbom, the Chargé d'Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu.

This marks a significant shift in Mr. Shah's approach to foreign diplomacy. In a departure from the tradition of individual meetings, the Prime Minister had convened a joint courtesy meeting on April 8 with 17 envoys and heads of diplomatic missions based in Kathmandu, including representatives from India and China. That meeting took place at Singhadurbar, the Prime Minister's office.

The one-on-one meetings were reportedly delayed due to recent communal violence in the Terai and Madhesh regions. According to Foreign Ministry sources, the appointments have been communicated to the respective embassies. A senior Foreign Ministry official said the scheduling, with the Indian ambassador first and the Chinese ambassador later on the same day, also reflects the government's foreign policy priorities.

The agenda for these meetings is expected to be largely introductory. The ambassadors are likely to brief the Prime Minister on the state of bilateral relations and convey messages from their respective governments, according to The Kathmandu Post, which first reported the development.

Mr. Shah had previously avoided one-on-one engagements with several foreign dignitaries, including Samir Paul Kapur, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, and Sergio Gor, President Donald Trump's special envoy for the region. However, he broke that pattern in early July by meeting Asian Development Bank President Masato Kanda during a three-day visit to Nepal.

Since taking office, Mr. Shah has not undertaken official visits to Nepal's immediate neighbours, India and China. Instead, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal made back-to-back trips to New Delhi and Beijing in June. On those visits, Mr. Khanal emphasised Nepal's desire to build stronger and deeper relations with both countries, describing them as vital partners. He has also articulated a vision of transforming Nepal from a landlocked nation into a vibrant, dynamic bridge linking India and China.

The upcoming meetings are being closely watched in Kathmandu's diplomatic circles as an indication of Mr. Shah's foreign policy orientation. Analysts note that while the order of meetings with the Indian and Chinese envoys may be symbolic, the substance of the discussions will be crucial for Nepal's neighbourhood diplomacy. The Prime Minister's approach appears calibrated to maintain balanced ties with both major powers, a longstanding pillar of Nepal's foreign policy.