PM Oli's first foreign junket: Thailand or India?

Kathmandu: With the appointment of a new prime minister in Nepal, speculation has begun about where the Prime Minister will embark on his first foreign trip. It has become customary for Nepali Prime Ministers to start their first foreign visits in India. If a prime minister chooses another country for their inaugural trip, it is often considered unusual.

Discussion is already underway regarding the destination of CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli, who assumed office as Prime Minister on July 15. Prime Minister Oli has received invitations from both India and China.

According to sources in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both India and China have initiated diplomatic efforts to host Prime Minister Oli. India had proposed inaugurating the Janakpur-Ayodhya train service in September and planned to take Prime Minister Oli to Ayodhya for a visit. However, since India did not receive a favorable response from Nepal, the plan did not proceed.

Meanwhile, China has also begun diplomatic maneuvers to host Prime Minister Oli, though this visit has not yet been finalized. With both India and China actively seeking to host him, it appears that Prime Minister Oli's first foreign trip might be to Thailand.

In September, Bangkok will host the sixth BIMSTEC conference. Sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs suggest that Prime Minister Oli is likely to attend this conference. One source stated, "It is almost certain that the Prime Minister will go. However, the official invitation has not yet arrived; we are waiting for it. Once it arrives, everything will be finalized."

Although the BIMSTEC conference is scheduled for early September, the exact date has not been fixed, which may have delayed the invitation. Nevertheless, the Ministry has already begun internal preparations for the visit.

BIMSTEC, which includes seven member countries—Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Thailand—will see meetings with the heads of state from other member nations, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The fourth BIMSTEC conference was held in Nepal in 2018, with KP Sharma Oli as Prime Minister at that time. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also attended the conference.

Following his visit to Thailand, Prime Minister Oli's second foreign trip is expected to be to the United States, coinciding with the United Nations General Assembly meeting at the end of September.