Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal travels to Fiji for climate summit

Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal has traveled to Fiji and Tuvalu to participate in the Pre-COP-Leaders Event on climate change. Leading a four-member delegation, Khanal is scheduled to address the Leaders Plenary on October 6 and engage in a media session with the leaders of Palau, Australia, and Fiji. The mission aims to highlight the impacts of climate change on mountainous nations and advocate for climate justice.

Following the climate summit, Khanal will travel to Australia for bilateral talks with Foreign Minister Penny Wong on October 8. The discussions are expected to focus on Nepal-Australia relations and mutual cooperation. He will also meet with the Nepali diaspora in Canberra and Sydney before returning to Nepal on October 12.

In a separate recent address at the Asian Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs, Khanal emphasized the necessity of economic diplomacy. He argued that Nepal’s foreign policy must be closely aligned with national economic interests, specifically targeting trade, investment, tourism, and job creation. Khanal called for diplomatic missions to act as active promoters of economic cooperation and urged coordination between state institutions and the private sector to convert diplomatic ties into tangible economic outcomes.