Kathmandu: Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in the final stages of recommending 21 new ambassadors to countries and international missions around the world. The proposal is expected to be presented to the Cabinet next week.
According to ministry sources, Nepal plans to appoint ambassadors to Australia, China, Germany, India, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, the United States, Spain, Egypt, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Vienna.
The Foreign Ministry traditionally follows a 50-50 appointment policy, with around half of the ambassadorial positions filled by career diplomats and the remainder by political appointees. Sources indicate that among the 21 appointments, six or seven are expected to be career diplomats, while the rest will be selected under the political quota.
Nepal currently operates 31 embassies, three permanent missions, and 10 consulates-general abroad. However, the government has already decided to close three embassies—in South Africa, Brazil, and Denmark—as well as the Consulates-General in San Francisco (United States) and Chengdu (China). The embassy branch in Visakhapatnam, India, will also be closed, reducing Nepal's overseas diplomatic network to 39 missions.
The government has also extended the terms of ambassadors serving in Bahrain, Bangladesh, Egypt, Myanmar, and Vienna, whose official tenures have expired. They have been instructed to remain in their posts until new appointments are confirmed.
At present, Nepal has no ambassadors in Australia, China, Germany, India, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Spain. The upcoming appointments are intended to fill these vacancies, along with replacing ambassadors whose terms have already expired.
Sources say senior career diplomats under consideration include Ganesh Prasad Dhakal, Bhrigu Dhungana, Dilip Kumar Poudel, Kumar Raj Kharel, and Bishnu Prasad Gautam. However, the list of political nominees remains confidential.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited public applications for ambassadorial positions in 13 countries, including Australia, the United States, China, India, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Israel, Oman, South Korea, Malaysia, Bahrain, and Austria. The ministry reportedly received nearly 4,000 applications from around 3,000 applicants, reflecting strong public interest in Nepal's diplomatic appointments.
