Foreign Minister Khanal calls diaspora a national strength, stresses economic diplomacy at business summit

Kathmandu, May 19: Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal on Monday highlighted the importance of the Nepali diaspora and economic diplomacy while addressing two separate programmes in Kathmandu.

At an event organised by the Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS), Minister Khanal launched the report titled Nepali Diaspora in Australia.

Speaking at the programme, he described the Nepali diaspora in Australia as one of Nepal’s national strengths and said education has remained a key pillar of Nepal-Australia relations. He noted that the diaspora community serves as an important soft-power bridge in strengthening goodwill, cultural understanding and broader partnerships between the two countries beyond remittance contributions.

The foreign minister also urged the diaspora community to remain actively engaged in Nepal’s development journey as partners in building a prosperous and inclusive nation. He appreciated IIDS and the research team for conducting the study.

The event was attended by government officials, Australian Ambassador Simon Ernst, researchers, private sector representatives, media persons and officials of the Non-Resident Nepali Association.

Also on Monday, Minister Khanal addressed the closing session of the Nepal Business Summit 2026 as the chief guest.

On the occasion, he shared the government’s vision for rapid and sustainable economic growth through good governance, policy predictability and structural reforms.

Highlighting the growing role of economic diplomacy, the minister said the government remains committed to promoting investment, encouraging technology partnerships and strengthening engagement with stakeholders to create a more conducive business environment.

The summit brought together global investors, policymakers and business leaders, including representatives from the Nepal Business Initiative (NBI), Nepal-India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICCI), Confederation of Banks and Financial Institutions Nepal (CBFIN) and Federation of Export Entrepreneurs Nepal (FEEN) to promote cross-border economic dialogue and cooperation.