Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah met with Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava at his office in Singha Durbar, Kathmandu, on Monday, 10 August — marking his first one-on-one engagement with a foreign diplomat since assuming office on 27 March. The meeting represents a notable shift from Shah's self-imposed diplomatic protocol of avoiding individual meetings with foreign ambassadors.

What Was Discussed

The Prime Minister's Secretariat confirmed the meeting in an official statement, noting that the two sides discussed bilateral friendship, mutual interests, development partnership, and cooperation between Nepal and India. Ambassador Srivastava congratulated Shah and reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening ties between the two countries. Shah, in turn, emphasised the importance of deepening Nepal's historic relationship with India and working jointly on areas of shared interest.

A Deliberate Departure From Protocol

Since taking charge more than four months ago, Shah had consistently refrained from one-on-one meetings with foreign diplomats — a deliberate break from the practice of previous prime ministers, who routinely granted individual access to envoys. Instead, Shah held collective meetings with Kathmandu-based ambassadors on 9 April and 26 May. Foreign policy experts and Nepali diplomats broadly welcomed this approach as more transparent and equitable, though observers increasingly noted it was difficult to sustain as Nepal sought deeper international engagement.

The Diplomatic Balancing Act

Shah is also scheduled to meet Chinese Ambassador Zhang Maoming separately on the same day, and a meeting with US Embassy Chargé d'Affaires Scott Urbom is planned for Tuesday, according to a source at the Prime Minister's Secretariat. The decision to receive the ambassadors of Nepal's two immediate neighbours on the same day is being read as a signal that Kathmandu attaches equal strategic weight to both India and China.

Earlier Exceptions and Refusals

Shah had previously made one exception to his own protocol — meeting Asian Development Bank President Masato Kanda during a three-day visit to Nepal in early July. However, he had declined requests from the US Embassy for meetings with US Assistant Secretary of State Samir Paul Kapur, US President Donald Trump's special envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor, and US Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah B. Rogers. Notably, the proposed visit of Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to Kathmandu in early May was reportedly postponed after Shah declined to grant him an audience.

Analysts Weigh In

Some foreign policy analysts have argued that an inflexible refusal to meet foreign diplomats is not in Nepal's national interest. 'The protocol should not become a barrier to meeting representatives of countries or institutions that are strategically important to Nepal,' foreign policy analyst Arun Sebudi said in earlier remarks. The Monday meeting with the Indian ambassador may signal that Shah's administration is recalibrating its diplomatic engagement approach as geopolitical pressures mount.

How Shah manages the evolving balance between institutional protocol and strategic necessity will be closely watched as Nepal navigates its complex position between two powerful neighbours.