MoFA organizes 3rd edition of Yadu Nath Khanal lecture series

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday organized Prof. Yadu Nath Khanal Lecture Series (third edition, 2024) in the presence of high-level government officials, political leaders, diplomats, members from civil society, media and academia. 

In the program, Prof. C. Raja Mohan delivered a keynote speech on the title Nepal-India Relations: Prospects and Pathways. 

The Ministry launched the lecture series in 2022 as a tribute to his distinguished service to the nation.

On the occasion, Foreign Secretary Sewa Lamsal delivered a welcome speech highlighting the purpose of the series and Khanal’s contribution to the country.

She said: “The overarching objective of this program is to provide a distinguished forum for discussions and deliberations and for propagating and exchanging innovative ideas and thoughts on emerging issues of foreign policy and diplomacy. Its core objective is to offer a contemporary outlook on the subject matter that would help practitioners of this field in conducting diplomacy amidst the ever-evolving regional and global dynamism.”

The lecture series is expected to bring in knowledge, expertise, experience and insights from renowned diplomats, policymakers, professors, and researchers on a diverse range of themes on Nepal’s foreign policy conduct, she said. 

“We have envisioned this platform to foster deliberations of different dimensions on Nepal’s foreign policy matters as well as the contemporary pertinent matters in international relation and diplomacy,” she added.

Also speaking the program, Prof. Mohan, one of India’s leading commentators on India’s foreign policy, delivered a speech highlighting the various dimensions of bilateral relations along with changing global and regional scenarios.  

He said: “It is possible to imagine that ‘a Nepal first strategy’ in Kathmandu and ‘a neighborhood first’ policy in Delhi can be brought into greater harmony and produce vast benefits for our peoples.’ Whatever might be our current challenges, there is much room for Kathmandu and Delhi to travel together, hopefully in the future, he said.  He further added that Nepal and India are facing a perilous moment in global affairs that is being sucked into a great power rivalry. He said: “It is also a moment of opportunity. It promises great political agency for small countries and rising powers with the will to take advantage through careful diagnosis and pragmatic engagement.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha delivered the concluding remarks.