Construction of new Foreign Ministry building to begin next fiscal year: Minister Khanal

August 10, Kathmandu: Construction of a dedicated headquarters for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is scheduled to begin in the upcoming fiscal year, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal informed the House of Representatives on Monday.

Responding to oral questions during a parliamentary session, Minister Khanal stated that preliminary preparation for the project is already underway. The new building will be constructed on the premises currently occupied by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

A consultant has been selected for architectural engineering and design, and preliminary architectural drawings are undergoing final internal review prior to formal approval.

The government has allocated NPR 500 million (NPR 50 Crore) in the current fiscal year for initial setup, with public procurement tenders set to be issued in the coming fiscal year to commence construction.

Addressing parliament on diplomatic record management, Minister Khanal emphasized that historical documents, international treaties, and diplomatic archives are being systematically protected.

While the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs holds jurisdiction over official treaty archives and the National Archives manages long-term document preservation, MOFA has established a dedicated Archive Management Branch to handle the research, verification, and digitization of historical diplomatic records.

The Foreign Minister also reported that Nepal maintains a total of 655 treaties and agreements—comprising 412 bilateral or regional accords and 243 multilateral conventions. Of these, 55 have been updated or finalized, while the remaining 600 will undergo systematic review, modification, or renewal based on national priority and diplomatic consensus.

Khanal noted that treaty revisions will proceed through diplomatic channels in coordination with the relevant line ministries and international counterparties.