Kathmandu : Experts in the field of international relations (IR) and diplomacy have pointed out the need of keeping national interest promotion and meaningful economic partnership in centre while conducting the foreign relations. In a Research Symposium organized by the Institute of Foreign Affairs (IFA) here today, the experts have stressed on investment promotion, technology exchange and export expansion for the development of the country.

National Planning Commission (NPC) vice chair Dr Pushpa Kandel said that the NPC was preparing strategy to uplift the county to the status of developing country in the coming five years. “Foreign development investment and mobilization, economic diplomacy, use of remittance in productive sectors, formal channeling of remittance, tourism promotion was included in the strategy and this was important achievement of the 15th periodic plan.” Kandel said. Vice chair Kandel further opined to materialize the national campaign of ‘Prosperous Nepal: Happy Nepali’ even to achieve the sustainable development goal.

He also spoke the need to strengthen the research capacity of the universities, think tanks, academic institutions. Similarly, former Foreign Affairs Minister Pradeep Gyawali argued that effective operation of economic diplomacy was imperative to ease the international trade. He also shared that special strategy focusing to 35 nations with distinct areas was prepared to promote the tourism and economic diplomacy in the country. He also focused on increasing the export and lessening the import.

Similarly, secretary at the Foreign Affairs Ministry Bharat Raj Poudyal, shared that the Ministry was putting in its maximum efforts to increase the exports of Nepalese goods forging coordination with the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supply and the Export Promotion Centre. He also said that economic diplomacy was an effective medium to extend multi sectoral, regional and bilateral relations. He also said that the Ministry and Nepalese embassies abroad were effortful to promote the national interest.

Likewise, IFA Executive Director Rajesh Shrestha had briefed about the latest research publication and activities of the Institution. The event is centred on Economic Diplomacy and International Trade Facilitation, Appraising Mainstream Think Tanks in South Asia and China, COVID-19-Led Migrant Returnees to understand its Relationship with Border Security and Nepal’s Foreign Affairs.